Rangat, Oct. 29: The Agriculture Department has set a target of planting 1 lakh cinnamon seedlings across 40 hectares in Rangat by December 2026 under a government-backed initiative aimed at expanding spice cultivation and supporting farmers’ livelihoods in the islands. The department began the planting drive on October 5 under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and the SPICE PRAVAH Mission.
As part of the initiative, the Agriculture Department, in collaboration with Parnashala Gram Panchayat, planted cinnamon seedlings at the Community Spice Garden site in Parnashala on October 28. The programme forms part of efforts to establish community-based spice gardens across the region.
The project covers five gram panchayats and a departmental farm, with the largest share of the proposed cultivation area allocated to Bakultala.
Of the total 40 hectares, 30 hectares fall across five gram panchayats: Bakultala will cover 11 hectares, Nimbutala and Kaushalyanagar seven hectares each, Uttara three hectares and Parnashala two hectares. The remaining 10 hectares have been earmarked for the Department of Agriculture’s CP Chitrakut Departmental Farm.
The December deadline sets the immediate implementation target for the project, which seeks to establish a foundation for the long-term expansion of spice production. The initiative also aims to strengthen coordination among the Agriculture Department, panchayats and farming communities to support sustainable cultivation and increase farmers’ income.
Assistant Commissioner of Rangat Deepanshu Vohra, Tehsildar Casper James and Parnashala Gram Panchayat Pradhan Balamurugan attended the planting programme. They acknowledged the initiative’s potential to expand spice cultivation and support agricultural development in the islands.
The project’s progress will depend on meeting the target of planting 1 lakh seedlings across the designated sites by the end of December 2026. The department has outlined the area distribution and planting deadline, while the information released does not specify the number of seedlings planted so far or the expected production and income from the proposed gardens.
