ITANAGAR, May 6: As part of an overseas exposure programme to study best practices in oil palm cultivation to scale up oil palm development under NMEO (National Mission on Oil Palm)–Oil Palm, an official delegation from Arunachal Pradesh led by Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu visited Pekanbaru, Riau in Indonesia on Monday last.
The Wangsu-led delegation comprised senior officers of the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh including Secretary Agriculture, Secretary Horticulture, district administrators, agriculture officers and farmers. The visit was hosted by the Consulate General of India, Jakarta, Indonesia with arrangements facilitated for interactions with local authorities and industry stakeholders.
During the visit, the Arunachal delegation underwent field-level exposure to oil palm plantations and processing systems, focusing on cultivation practices, productivity enhancement, harvesting and value chain management.
The members visited the state-of-the-art research facilities in the Minama Research Centre enabling them to observe the global best practices, breeding program and production of high yielding planting materials, use of AI, machine learning, drone and satellite imageries in oil palm plantations, biocontrol, integrated pest and nutrient management systems in one of the world’s leading oil palm producing regions.
Interaction with industry experts and researchers provided valuable perspectives on policy frameworks, investment models, small holder integration, terracing techniques, sustainability practices including certification standards, environmental safeguards, and community engagement approaches that ensure long-term viability of oil palm cultivation.
The crucial insights and experiences gained provided a holistic understanding of the oil palm value chain, which will help support the State’s efforts in scaling up oil palm development under NMEO–Oil Palm and strengthening farmers’ livelihoods through adoption of improved technologies and practices.
Later, the Minister held meetings with few companies to discuss the scope of business collaborations in the oil palm sector.
Earlier, the Arunachal delegation visited Malaysia and interacted with progressive farmers and officials from the Agriculture Department to study the latest advancements in oil palm cultivation in Malaysia, facilitated by the Deputy High Commissioner of India.
The delegation also visited SD Guthrie Seeds and Agricultural Services at Carey Island Banting,Selangor which is a pioneer in oil palm seed production and a leading global supplier.
The key insights were on the efforts and the need to plug the critical gaps to meet the targets and achieve the goals of the National Mission on Oil Palm in the State by scaling up oil palm expansion, strengthening farmer–industry linkages, improving productivity and processing infrastructure and develop a sustainable oil palm ecosystem in the State.