Aizawl, Dec 18: Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati met with a delegation from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (ICAR-IIOPR) on Wednesday at Raj Bhavan in Aizawl. The discussions focused on strategies to enhance oil palm production in the state, address challenges faced by farmers, and improve cultivation practices.

Governor Kambhampati emphasized the importance of reducing India’s dependence on imported edible oils and recognized the potential for Mizoram to play a key role in boosting domestic oil production. He encouraged the ICAR team to collaborate closely with local farmers to address their concerns and increase oil palm output. The Governor also called for the development of a comprehensive action plan by the ICAR Research Complex for the NEH Region, Mizoram Centre, Kolasib, to optimize the state’s oil palm cultivation.

The ICAR-IIOPR team provided updates on their ongoing initiatives in the state, noting that Mizoram is the leading oil palm producer in Northeast India, with a potential cultivation area of 60,000 to 70,000 hectares. The delegation included K. Manorama, Principal Scientist, G. Ravichandran, Principal Scientist, and G. Somasundaran, Senior Scientist.