New Delhi, April 3 -- The central government has allowed tea estates in Assam to benefit from the flagship oil palm mission, weeks after an industry body in the region made representations.

Based in Assam, the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), in its letter dated February 4, 2025, appealed to the central and state governments to extend the oil palm mission scheme to the state's tea estates.

Consequently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare sent a letter to the Director of Agriculture Assam dated April 1, 2025, stating that it has agreed to extend the scheme for cultivating oil palm trees in 5 percent of tea gardens in the northeastern state.

"Since, the support under NMEO-OP is per hectare for cultivation of oil palm, i...