IMPHAL: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, on Tuesday, said that palm oil cultivation would soon begin in the state.
Manipur CM Biren Singh said that the issues related to palm oil cultivation in Manipur should be discussed and analysed properly.
The Manipur chief minister made this statement while addressing a one-day national workshop on promotion of palm oil cultivation at Imphal.
Biren Singh was responding to the apprehensions doing the rounds amongst the people in Manipur that palm oil cultivation might degrade the soil quality.
The workshop, where Manipur CM Biren Singh was speaking at, was organised to discuss and spread awareness on the “scientifically proven facts” on how “harmless palm oil cultivation is”.
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The Manipur chief minister added that other crops like pineapple and coffee could also carried grown alongside palm oil plantations.
India as the largest importer of edible oil in the world, Manipur chief minister Biren Singh said.
The Manipur chief minister added that palm oil project was virtually inaugurated in the state on November 12 2020.
He further informed that 66,652 hectares of area have been identified in six districts of Manipur for palm oil cultivation.
There have been delays in expansion of projects due to apprehensions in the minds of people about the adverse effect of palm oil plantation, he added.