Guwahati, Dec 18: The Union government has stepped up efforts to strengthen three high-potential value chains—oil palm, agarwood and bamboo—across the North Eastern Region (NER), with a focus on livelihoods, exports and rural industries, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Under the National Mission on Edible Oil–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), a cumulative 68,324 hectares has already been brought under oil palm cultivation in the Northeast as of March 31, 2025. The government has set an ambitious target of 92,543 hectares by 2025–26. To support this expansion, 47 nurseries are operational in the region, with 22 more approved for the next financial year. Seed gardens are being strengthened in Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Assam, while processing infrastructure is expanding with two oil palm mills in Arunachal Pradesh and one in Mizoram. A new processing mill has been approved for Assam in 2025–26.
Agarwood, one of the Northeast’s most valuable forest-based resources, is also seeing a policy push. According to a Botanical Survey of India assessment (2024), around 13.51 crore agar trees are grown on private land across the NER. Recognising its export potential, the Centre approved a roadmap in 2024 for sustainable cultivation, processing and trade, following recommendations of an inter-ministerial task force. States have been advised to prepare area-expansion plans, supported by geospatial mapping in Tripura and Assam. Export prospects have been strengthened with enhanced CITES quotas—1,51,080 kg for agarwood chips and 7,050 kg for oil. Export applications have now been integrated into the DGFT portal, while GI tagging initiatives are underway through NERAMAC and the North Eastern Council. Proofs of concept have also been prepared for agarwood clusters in Kadamtala (Tripura) and Golaghat (Assam).
The bamboo sector, another traditional strength of the region, has received significant investment. The North Eastern Council (NEC) has sanctioned 23 bamboo projects worth ₹154.03 crore, while the North East Cane and Bamboo Development Council (NECBDC) has trained 4,907 bamboo artisans and officials over the last three years. Additionally, the Ministry of DoNER has approved two major projects worth ₹82.50 crore to modernise traditional bamboo artisan clusters, improve market access, promote engineered bamboo products, and link producers to digital, retail and export ecosystems.
Taken together, the Centre says these interventions are aimed at building resilient value chains around palm oil, agarwood and bamboo—creating jobs, improving farm incomes and positioning the Northeast as a key player in both domestic and global markets.
The information was shared by Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Dr Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
Also Read: Forgotten forest greens could help tackle anemia in Garo Hills, study finds
Also Watch
Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.
Also, Follow us on-
Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub
Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020
Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub
Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub
