THATTA, Oct 31: The Pakistan Oilseed Development Board has finalized a feasibility report for a Rs48 million palm oil extraction plant in Thatta district's coastal belt, official sources told Dawn on Sunday.

A meeting in this connection was held in Karachi on Oct 27 and attended by the Sindh additional chief secretary, Ghulam Sarwar Khero, the secretary of the wildlife and forests, the director-general of the Coastal Development Authority and PODB director for Sindh, Mr Waris Shaikh.

The meeting was told that the plant would contribute in saving foreign exchange and make the country self-sufficient in edible oil.

It contended that of over two million tons annual requirement, 70 per cent edible oil was imported while the 30 per cent was provided from domestic sources.

The country spends Rs33 to Rs40 billion per year on import of edible oil, copra and nuts for drinking purposes mainly from Malaysia.

It may be recalled that the Sindh government had launched a pilot project with a cost of Rs89.544 million to grow coconut and palm oil plants along its coast.

The cultivation of the palm oil has proved very successful on an area of 550 acres of the private farms and 500 acres of the government farms.

About 1,700 acres have already been brought under coconut cultivation on government lands in Thatta and Badin districts whereas 45 farms over about 600 acres are under coconut plantation in the private sector.

The vegetative growth and fruiting status in palm oil is as good as in Malaysia

Divisional Forest Officer Riaz Wagan said the country was fortunate enough for having potential coastal belt in Sindh.

He said the pilot project had proved very successful and the plantation could be increased manifold on the pattern of Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

He said the oil extraction plant with the minimum two tons per hour capacity would be requiring a mature plantation of about 1,000 to 1,200 acres of oil palm.

Mr Wagan said there would be dire need for more oil extraction plants after maturity of existing oil palm plantations in the next few years.

He stressed the need for localized small units for the extraction of oil palm on the pattern of India and Indonesia.