In what can be termed as landmark moment in the Agro Industry sector and development of oil palm sector for Arunachal Pradesh, the foundation stone for the first of its kind state-of-art integrated Oil Palm factory was jointly unveiled by Acharya Bal Krishna and the State Agriculture Minister Tage Taki at Niglok Industrial Growth Centre in East Siang district today in presence of huge gathering. The duo along with MLAs Ninong Ering, Kaling Moyong, Lombo Tayeng and Gabriel D. Wangsu, Dui Gao (Wife Loksabha MP Tapir Gao) and other dignitaries present on the occasion took part in the ceremonial bhumi-pujan, plantation, lighting of lamp and distributed ablation and chisels. 

Agriculture Minister Tage Taki while congratulated the people for setting up the first oil palm processing mill in the Industrial Growth Center at Niglok. He informed that the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2021 had given approval to promote palm oil cultivation in the country with a mission to boost the economy of the nation at large. Later, the state government led by the Chief Minister Pema Khandu after series of surveys, discussion/meetings with experts/scientists on suitability and future prospect and the prevailing climatic condition and availability of land etc considered to establish the mill and nurseries in the state besides encouraging the cultivators for assured income and employment generation. Notably, India is the world’s second largest consumer and number one importer of vegetable oil and it meets about 70% of its need through imports from Indonesia and Malaysia, draining huge Indian money approximately one lakh crores annually and setting up the industry in the country will definitely save our money.  

Acharya Balakrishna terming occasion as historic for the state and the nation as a whole informed that Patanjali Foods Limited (formerly Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd.)  has signed MoU with APIDFC Ltd, a State Govt. undertaking under  Industries Department, for setting up  Oil Palm processing Unit at Niglok Industrial Centre. All necessary approvals and statutory clearances pertaining to the land were also obtained and the factory is set to be developed. The company is the first in the state to import high quality hybrid variety imported seed sprouts from selected identified countries, for benefit of the farmers and employment generation in agro sector can be achieved through such initiatives, he stated adding that such initiative will give impetus to the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to make India self-reliant in edible oil and also the doubling of farmers’ income. Balakrishna also advocated for making Arunachal as the first organic farming state in the country. 

Among others, Jt Secy.(DA&FW, GoI), Subha Takur, Secy. (Agriculture, GoAP), Bidol Tayeng, Secy. (Industries) Hage Tari, Chairman APIDFCL Wanglong Rajkumar, Director ICAAR Ravi Kumar Mathur, DC Tayi Taggu and SP Sumit Kumar Jha were present on the occasion.