Congress flays new oil palm policy of Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress in Kerala on Friday criticised the new oil palm policy announced by the Central government as the party said the policy would affect coconut farmers of the State.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the national mission on edible oils – oil palm (NMEO-OP) at an outlay of Rs 11,040 crore to promote domestic cultivation of oil palm over the next five years to reduce dependence on imports.

"The Centre is now boosting oil palm which is harmful to biodiversity. It's a fact that cultivation of oil palm led to deforestation in South-East Asian countries," the Member of Parliament from Kannur and president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) K Sudhakaran said in a statement.

He said while major palm oil-producing countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar have abandoned oil palm farming to reclaim lost forests, the government of India was investing Rs 11,040 crore in it.

Sudhakaran said the Central government has been neglecting coconut farmers and now encouraging oil palm farming.

"The new policy will destroy the coconut farmers. Moreover, it was announced when the farmers are already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said

The Cabinet approved the NMEO-OP with focus on the north-east regions and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Due to dependence on import of edible oils, it is important to make efforts for increasing their domestic production, the Central government has said while increasing the assistance for oil palm growers to Rs 29,000 per hectare from Rs 12,000 per hectare.