GUWAHATI: The ambitious INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project has led to the establishment of more than 1.25 lakh hectares of rubber plantations across the Northeast and West Bengal, according to an industry report released on Wednesday, January 1.
Led by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA), the initiative aims to develop 2 lakh hectares of rubber plantations across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and West Bengal. The project, with a budget of Rs. 1,100 crore, is expected to be completed within five years.
A senior ATMA official informed the media, "A total of 1,25,272 hectares have been brought under new natural rubber plantations across 94 districts in the Northeast and West Bengal during the first four years of the initiative."
Meanwhile, the Tripura government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Patanjali Foods Limited to boost industrial investment and employment opportunities by upscaling palm oil production in the state.
“The horticulture department’s recent MoU with Patanjali Foods Ltd. marked a significant milestone in boosting Tripura’s palm oil production. Under the National Mission on Edible Oils and Oil Palm, they targeted 1,124 hectares for palm plantations, with an impressive 760 hectares already covered. The government implemented this initiative as part of its broader objective to boost oil palm production in the state," Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Ashok Kumar Singh, the Northeast Head of Patanjali Foods, discussed prospects related to oil palm plantations and their commercialization in Tripura with CM Saha at his official residence.
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