3F Oil Palm’s Maiden Plant in Arunachal Goes on Steam

Sanjay Goenka, MD & CEO, 3F Oil Palm Pvt Limited., says Company plans Rs 1100 cr investments in Assam & Arunachal, creating 1,700 jobs
ROING, Arunachal Pradesh, Mar 16 (the CONNECT) – In a milestone for the agricultural sector, India’s first integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit by 3F Oil Palm started its commercial operations today.
The factory situated at Roing in lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, carries forward Mission Palm Oil, representing a pivotal step in India’s journey towards self-reliance in edible oils, catalyzed by the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
This integrated Oil Palm project will include a cutting-edge oil palm factory (Palm Oil Processing and Refinery), a zero-discharge effluent plant, a palm waste-based power plant, and additional structures and go-downs for support purposes. This factory marks the first Oil Palm factory in Arunachal Pradesh and India’s first Oil Palm Factory under NMEO-OP.
PM Narendra Modi performed the virtual inauguration March 9, 2024 when he laid the foundation stone for various other projects worth over ₹55,000 Crore, as part of the Viksit Bharat – Viksit Northeast programme.
Modi highlighted the government’s focus on Mission Palm Oil, with a special focus on Northeast, to not only achieve Atmanirbharta, but also to empower farmers.
Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director & CEO, 3F Oil Palm Pvt Limited., stated that the northeast holds immense potential for palm oil production, and the company has already invested ₹100 crores in the region. It planned investments of ₹1100 crores in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by 2030 creating jobs for 1,700 people.
In Arunachal Pradesh, 1,30,000 hectares of land suitable for Oil Palm cultivation has been identified, with the Northeast region alone housing a significant 33% (9.6 Lakh hectares) of the government-designated area fit for cultivation. Only 4% of this potential in the Northeast has currently been utilized for Oil Palm Development. Despite this vast potential, India grapples with a formidable challenge of achieving self-sufficiency in edible oils, importing a staggering 96% of its required palm oil, accounting for 67% of the country’s edible oil import bill, exceeding Rs. 1 Lakh crores. Addressing this critical issue, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visionary initiative NMEO-Oil Palm Policy was introduced, aiming to reduce dependence on imported edible oils by promoting domestic oil palm cultivation, particularly in the Northeast, through financial, technical, and infrastructural support.
3F Oil Palm’s state-of-the-art Integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit has been designed to process fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) into high-quality palm oil with an impressive capacity of 10 metric tons per hour. With 2,500 hectares of oil palm currently being planted across a farmer base of 500 farmers, 3F Oil Palm Pvt Ltd is a leader and pioneer in Arunachal Pradesh’s oil palm development program.
3F Oil Palm’s strength lies in its farmer-centric, technology-driven approach. One Key Differentiator of 3F Oil Palm, is its innovative Farmer Excellence Centres known as “3F Akshaya Kendra” – a One Stop Solution for Farmers, providing a range of agricultural products, equipment and transportation rentals, labour services, financial services and more. Technology is embedded in every segment of 3F Oil Palm’s operations, with its – proprietary plantation management software 3F Smart Palm, and Farmer Mobile App 3F Akshaya. 3F Oil Palm is a pioneer is leveraging drone and satellite analytics for crop health monitoring using cutting-edge AI based image processing tools.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the company is the first in the state to import high-quality hybrid variety seed sprouts from specialized and recognized international companies. 3F Oil Palm is also the first oil palm company to provide agricultural inputs to farmers in Arunachal Pradesh. Both initiatives are anticipated to greatly boost farmer yields and encourage ease of planting. Owing to all these firsts and the additional traction produced by the Oil Palm Factory, the company is targeting to add 5000 Ha each year over the following five years in Lower Dibang District, Arunachal Pradesh.
3F Oil Palm has established a strong presence in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. The company is currently dedicated to formulating a robust growth strategy for the Northeastern region, encompassing Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The inauguration and commencement of operations symbolize a significant step in that direction.