Farmers’ body opposed palm cultivation in Tripura.

The Tripura government has undertaken a massive initiative to promote palm cultivation in the state after receiving directives from the central government. However, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) state committee opposed the government’s eye on palm cultivation and demanded to enhance rubber plantation in the state, which, according to them, is much better in terms of economy, health, and environment.

AIKS Tripura Chief, former Left Front Minister and veteran communist leader Pabitra Kar, told the media, “Palm cultivation will not be a profitable business for the farmers of Tripura; rather, enhancement of rubber plantation will bring profit for the farmers in an eco-sustainable manner”.

During the time of the Left Front government, a feasibility study of growing palm in Tripura was made, but it was found to be a non-profitable business for the farmers, and palm cultivation damages farming land. Based on this, the previous left front government focused on rubber plantations and emerged as the second-largest latex producer in the country, he stated. Kar has criticised the ‘doubling up farmers’ income’ remark made by the agriculture minister and labelled it as baseless.

He stated that the state’s farmers continue to suffer due to a lack of infrastructure and government support. Amidst the crisis, the government launched the Tripura Palm Mission without considering its consequences, which will be a disaster for the farmers, and they will launch a protest programme against palm cultivation, Kar added.

Maverick News 30, for the broader interest of its readers, have explored the environmental and economical insights of both the Palm Cultivation & Rubber Plantations. It has revealed that:

• Palm cultivation was mainly been brought into areas previously dedicated to rubber cultivation. In other cases, uneconomical tea lands have also been used for palm cultivation.

• The green water footprint is 170% higher in rubber compared to oil palm on a hectare of land.

• The Government has urged voluntarily to systematically remove the existing oil palm cultivation by approximately 10% of the land on a yearly basis, encompassing grave concerns about palm cultivation leading to soil erosion, drying of springs, affecting biodiversity and life of the economy. However, the erodibility of the soil, rainfall erosivity, and topography in palm growing areas are similar to those in tea and rubber plantations. There have been no significant differences in soil pH pertinent to palm and rubber fields. Soil acidification in palm can be mitigated by incorporating empty fruit bunches (EFB) or bunch ash into the fertilizers and by leaving fronds in the plantation.

• While, palm generates a gross profit of Rs. 53/- per kilogram of FFB, boasting a 65% gross margin; one kilogram of rubber yields only Rs. 40/- with a 9% gross margin. The gross profit from a kilogram of black tea is a mere Rs. 01/-, while a kilogram of coconut brings in Rs. 45/- in gross profit.

Team Maverick