The Arunachal Pradesh government has launched a mega plantation drive for oil palms in the state, officials said on Tuesday.
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During the fortnight-long plantation drive, which got underway on July 29, the state government is targeting to cover about 700 hectares of land in six districts with oil palms, they said.
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The programme was undertaken as part of the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm, which is aimed at meeting the growing demand for edible oils in the country, they added.
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Two companies -- 3F Oil Palm Pvt Ltd and Patanjali Foods Ltd -- would participate in the plantation drive, officials said.
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"To increase oil palm cultivation under National Mission for Edible Oils, we have launched a mega plantation drive from July 29 to August 12, in Arunachal Pradesh," Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted.
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"Under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi Ji, this is yet another step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat by reducing oil import burden by further augmenting domestic oil palm cultivation (sic)," he added.
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3F Oil Palm Pvt Ltd has already started work on its first integrated factory in Arunachal Pradesh with an initial investment of Rs 250 crores, officials said.
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The company, which has similar facilities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat, acquired 120 acres of land in the Lower Dibang Valley district in February last year for the project.
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The first phase of the factory is expected to be commissioned by September, and would create employment opportunities for 300 people, officials said.