Bengal launches Mission Tal-Khejur to expand palm cultivation and jaggery supply
Horticulture Minister Kalyan Chakraborty said the mission will provide free saplings and training to farmers across the state.
The West Bengal government has launched Mission Tal-Khejur to increase the cultivation of palmyra and date palm trees, according to a report by Urban Acres. Horticulture and Food Processing Industries Minister Kalyan Chakraborty announced the initiative on Friday during a visit to a government farm in Jalpaiguri.
The mission aims to establish a state-supported framework for the collection, processing, and sale of jaggery and other tree-based products. It will cover the north Bengal plains and south Bengal, with plans to promote new plantations and food-processing facilities.
Minister Chakraborty said farmers will be provided with free date palm and palmyra saplings along with cultivation training. The government intends to support the production of beverages, jaggery, and other food items, while linking cultivation to retail supply.
Chakraborty noted that consumers in the state currently pay approximately ₹500 per kilogram for patali gur, or solid jaggery. He stated that packaged date products from other states and abroad have taken a large share of the local market despite the trees being native to Bengal.
The horticulture department has been directed to grow these crops in every district. The minister noted that plantations in north Bengal will require specific drainage management to be successful.
The government has not yet specified the funding, implementation timeline, or district-wise planting targets for the mission.