Guwahati holds workshop to promote palm oil in state

Guwahati: A three-day national workshop on palm crops, was held at the Horticulture Research Station under the Assam Agricultural University in Kahikuchi, Guwahati, which was organized by the All India Coordinated Research Project-Palms (AICRP-Palms).

The workshop was organized by AICRP-Palms, a network of research institutes from across India supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This network focuses on research activities related to palm crops.

The primary goal of the workshop was to coordinate and discuss research activities in the field of palm crops in India. Scientists from various research centers under AICRP-Palms gather to present their research findings and establish research agendas for the upcoming year in the palm crops sector.

The inaugural session of the workshop featured prominent speakers, including Dr. NK Mohan, Member of the Agriculture Commission, government of Assam, and Dr. VB Patel, Assistant Director General of ICAR in New Delhi.

The workshop centers on five crops under the purview of AICRP-Palms: coconut, areca nut, oil palm, palmyra palm, and cocoa. Participants discuss research outcomes and technologies developed in these areas.

Dr. B Augustine Jerard, the Project Coordinator of AICRP-Palms, highlighted the release of three technologies related to palm crops and three coconut varieties during the year 2022-23. Given the plan to cover a significant area under oil palm cultivation in Assam, there is a call for strategic research and technological support to boost the palm crops sector in the state.

Further, six technical bulletins related to palm crops, prepared by various centers affiliated with AICRP-Palms, were released during the inaugural session.

Around 60 agricultural scientists from 24 research centers affiliated with AICRP-Palms from across India participated in the workshop. An exhibition highlighting the agricultural resources of Assam was organized concurrently with the workshop.

The workshop was aimed at promoting research and collaboration in palm crop cultivation and technology development, which is important for the agricultural sector, particularly in regions like Assam.

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