RIAU, MAY 6:
An official delegation from Arunachal Pradesh led by Agriculture and Allied Minister Gabriel D Wangsu visited Pekanbaru in Indonesia’s Riau province as part of an overseas exposure programme to study global best practices in oil palm cultivation.
The delegation comprised senior officials, including Agriculture Department Secretary, Horticulture Department Secretary, district administrators, agriculture officers and farmers. The visit was hosted by the Consulate General of India in Jakarta, facilitating interactions with local authorities and industry stakeholders.
During the programme, the team undertook field visits to oil palm plantations and processing units, focusing on cultivation techniques, productivity enhancement, harvesting systems and value chain management.
The delegation also visited the Minama Research Centre, where members observed advanced breeding programmes, production of high-yielding planting materials and the application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, drones and satellite imagery in plantation management. Exposure was also gained in biocontrol measures and integrated pest and nutrient management practices.
Interactions with industry experts and researchers provided insights into policy frameworks, investment models, smallholder integration, terracing techniques and sustainability practices, including certification standards, environmental safeguards and community engagement.
Officials said the exposure offered a comprehensive understanding of the oil palm value chain and would support the state’s efforts to scale up cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) while strengthening farmers’ livelihoods through improved technologies and practices.
During the visit, Wangsu also held discussions with companies to explore potential collaborations in the oil palm sector.
Earlier, the delegation visited Malaysia, where it interacted with progressive farmers and agriculture officials to study advancements in oil palm cultivation.
The team also visited SD Guthrie Seeds and Agricultural Services at Carey Island in Selangor, a leading global supplier of oil palm seeds.
The visit highlighted the need to address critical gaps in achieving NMEO-OP targets, including expansion of oil palm cultivation, strengthening farmer-industry linkages, improving productivity and developing processing infrastructure for a sustainable oil palm ecosystem in the state.
