Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev announced that Patanjali, as part of its ambitious 'Mission Palm Plantation,' aims to establish connections with 500,000 farmers nationwide during a press conference at the Palm Plantation Farm and Nursery.
The company has already planted a staggering 10 million palm saplings and plans to extend its efforts to cover 1.5 to 2 million acres over the next five years. This initiative is set to contribute significantly to India's self-sufficiency in edible oils. Presently, Patanjali is associated with around 40,000 farmers as part of the 'Mission Palm Plantation.'
Ramdev highlighted that Patanjali Foods is steadfastly supporting the Indian government's mission of achieving self-reliance in edible oils. The Palm Plantation program undertaken by the company is expected to become one of the country's largest and most sustainable agricultural ventures.
Patanjali's position as the leading player in the palm plantation sector in India is reinforced by the allocation of 0.6 million hectares and a planted area of 64,000 hectares. As part of its vision, the company aims to expand the plantation area to 0.4 million hectares over the next five years.
Through partnerships with 12 state governments under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, Patanjali has adopted an asset-light business approach with sustainable high margins. Investments made in this venture over the next five years are projected to yield long-term benefits for the company spanning seven to 25 years, according to Ramdev.
Ramdev further revealed that Patanjali currently operates five mills in Andhra Pradesh, with two in Ampapuram, two in Peddapuram, and one in Mysore, Karnataka. The existing mills have a combined capacity of 0.94 million metric tons (mt), and the company plans to augment it to 2.27 million mt by establishing new facilities in a phased manner.
The company presently operates 26 nurseries across India, with plans to scale up to 197 nurseries within the next five years. To support this expansion, Patanjali currently imports 4.6 million sprouts, a number set to increase to over 62 million by the end of the fifth year.
