Question : CULTIVATION OF PALM

(a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to promote the cultivation of Palm across the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and

(c) the success achieved in increasing the production of Palm therefrom?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) to (c): Yes, Madam. In order to promote cultivation of oil palm in the country, Government of India implemented Oil Palm Development Programme (OPDP) from 1991-92 to 2003-04, Integrated Scheme for Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM) from 2004-05 to 2013-14 and Oil Palm Area Expansion (OPAE) from 2011-12 to 2013-14. In XIIth Five Year Plan, National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) is being implemented from 2014-15.

Under Mini Mission–II (Oil Palm) of NMOOP, assistance is provided for purchase of planting material, maintenance for gestation period, installation of drip-irrigation system, diesel / electric pump-sets, bore-well / water harvesting structure/ponds, inputs for inter-cropping in oil palm fields, construction of vermi-compost units, training, demonstration, establishment of new seed garden, purchasing of machinery & tools and setting up of oil palm processing units in NE/hilly States/LW areas. Directorate of Oil Palm Research (DOPR), Pedavegi, ICAR is providing technical guidance to the implementing States and also supplying the planting material of oil palm.

Area under oil palm cultivation has increased from 8,585 hectare in 1991-92 to 2,50,763 hectare in 2013-14. Similarly, the production of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) and crude palm oil (CPO) was 21,233 MT and 1,134 MT respectively during the year 1992-93, which has now increased to 9,95,211 MT of FFBs and 1,71,354 MT of CPO during the year 2013-14. During the year 2014-15, Government of India has fixed a target to cover 34,750 hectares area under oil palm in 14 States. The State-wise details are given in Annexure.?