Pom Cultivation in MP: Palm cultivation in Chhattisgarh is proving to be a boon. It is also getting a boost from the government. So far, pomm is being installed in 2682 hectares in 17 districts.
Pom Cultivation Progress: Palm cultivation is becoming a source of permanent income for the farmers of the state. The state government is promoting other horticulture crops including pom to provide additional income to farmers. At the same time, keeping in mind the demand and productivity of palm oil, it is promoting farmers for pomm cultivation. The state and central government have started a campaign regarding this. Palm plants have been planted in more than 2 thousand 682 hectares of area. Pomm oil is the most commonly used vegetable oil. It is being used to make biscuits, chocolate, maggi, snacks and non -foods such as soaps, creams, detergents, biofuel etc. A grant of one lakh rupees is also being given by the Central Government and the State Government for encouragement to the farmers of palm. At the same time, free training is also given to farmers.
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Planting of Chhaya Palm in an area of 3.5 lakh hectares across the country
The Central Government has given a new direction to the production of palm oil through the National Mission on Edabable Oil with the aim of reducing import dependence on the country’s edible oils and increasing the income of farmers. Under the National Oilseeds and Palm Oil Mission, pomm has been cultivated on 3.5 lakh hectares of land across the country so far. According to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, domestic production of palm oil has increased by 15 percent in 2024-25. While the government has targeted to reach 28 lakh tonnes by the year 2029-30. The central government is working towards raising new means of employment and income from pomm cultivation in tribal dominated areas like Telangana, Assam, Mizoram, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Bastar and Dantewada, especially Chhattisgarh.
Palm cultivation in 17 districts of Chhattisgarh
Under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai and under the guidance of Agriculture Minister Shri Ramvichar Netam, farmers are being encouraged to cultivate horticulture crops to increase the income of farmers of the state government. The state government has made efforts to cultivate palm in 17 districts of the state. The state is mainly cultivated in the state in Bastar (Jagdalpur), Kondagaon, Kanker, Sukma Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada, Mahasamand, Raigad, Sarangarh-Bilaj, Jajgir-Chapa, Durg, Bemetara, Jashpur, Surguja, Korba and Bilaspur districts. In the last four years in the state, about 1 thousand 150 farmers have been planted in about 1 thousand 600 hectares of area. At the same time, pomm has been planted in 1 thousand 089 hectares of 802 farmers this year.
Planting 570 oil palm plants in 10 acres of field
Shri Rajendra Meher, a farmer of village Chakradharpur of Raigad development block, has planted 570 oil palm plants in his 10 acres of field in collaboration with the Horticulture Department. Mr. Meher told that this land had been lying vacant for a long time and he had been considering taking horticulture crop for a long time. He could not start in the absence of technical information, but after contact with the Horticulture Department, he not only got the necessary guidance, but also got information about the benefits of palm cultivation. Inspired by this, he decided to cultivate Palm. Similarly, pomm is being cultivated in 611 hectares of area in Mahasamand district.
Production starts from third year
The official of the horticulture department informed that 143 saplings worth Rs 29 thousand per hectare are being given free under the Oil Palm Scheme. The total cost of plantation, fencing, irrigation, maintenance and internal crops comes to around four lakh rupees per hectare. On this, a grant of one lakh rupees is being provided by the Government of India and one lakh rupees by the state government. Bank loan facility is also available for the remaining amount. In addition, a provision has also been made for maintenance of garden, drip irrigation, intermediate crop, borewell, pump set, water harvesting system vermi compost unit, pomm cutter, wire mesh, motorized chisel, arc, cutter, tractor trolley. The production of oil palm crop starts from the third year and continues continuously for about 25 to 30 years. The yield increases as the age of plants increases. There is a possibility of getting 15 to 20 tonnes of yield every year from one hectare, due to which the farmer can get an annual income of two and a half to three lakh rupees.
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Not even worried about sales, firm arrangements for purchase on support price
Due to the correct distance between oil palm plants, farmers can also take vegetables or other internal crops there. For this, subsidy is also being given by the government. Not only this, a grant of up to 50 thousand rupees is also being given for borewell mining at more than 2 hectares of planting. For the sale of the produced crop, the Government of India has made arrangements for contracted companies, which purchase the crop from the farmers’ fields at the minimum support price. The crop is paid directly to the bank account of the farmers.