Patanjali aiming for Atmanirbharta in palm oil production: Baba Ramdev

Rajamahendravaram: Says it will connect with five lakh farmers to increase palm plantation across the country as part of its ‘Mission Palm Plantation’Consumer foodproducts company, Patanjali Foods Limited aiming to connect with five lakh farmers to increase palm plantation across the country as part of its ‘Mission Palm Plantation’, according to yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

Speaking to the media at palm plantation farm and nurseryat Dontamuru in Rangampeta Mandal of East Godavari districtin Andhra Pradesh, Baba Ramdevsaid: “Patanjali as part of its ‘Mission Palm Plantation’ is aiming to connect with 5 lakh farmers across the country. The company has already planted one crore palm saplings. They will plant 15-20 lakh acre areas in the next five years. Currently, around 40,000 farmers have been associated with Patanjali in the ‘Mission Palm Plantation’. This will help the country to be self sufficient (Atmanirbharta) when it comes to edible oils.”

Stating that India is importing cooking oils from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and other countries,he called upon the farmers to cultivate oil palm on a large scale to change this situation and make India self-sufficient in the production of cooking oils. He assured the farmers that Patanjali Foods Limited will cooperate with them in all stages from raw materials to technology and marketing. The farmers explained to him that the lack of minimum support price for oil palm in the market has become a problem for them. They asked for cooperation in getting support prices.

Satthi Rama Reddy, former president of State Oil Palm Farmers Association,PendyalaBujjibabu,president of Joint District Oil Palm Farmers Association; farmer leaders PuttaSomanna Chowdary, Velangi Srinu, UppalapatiAmmiraju, and others participated.

Patanjali Foodsis the largest playerin the oil palm plantation activity in the country on the basis ofthe allocated area of 0.6 million hectaresand planted area of 64,000 hectares. Going forward, it has set a vision to scale up the plantation area to 0.4 million hectaresin the next five years.The company is ramping up its infrastructure very rapidly. It has five operating mills in the State of Andhra Pradesh - two in Ampapuram, two in Peddapuram and one in Mysore in Karnataka. Their cumulative capacity is 0.94 million metric capacityand it has plans to ramp it up to 2.27 million metricby putting up new facilities in a phased manner.