Acharya, who is in the city to explore the possibilities of expanding oil palm farming in South Gujarat, conceded at a press conference on Thursday that setting up of necessary infrastructure for the purpose had been delayed and that farmers who had taken up the project five years ago were growing disillusioned.

``The State government has however sanctioned Rs 1.5 lakhs towards construction of a mill, where oil palm seeds can be processed,'' he announced, adding that the setting up of a big sized mill would cost about Rs 3 crore.

Oil palm farming, at an advanced stage in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, was first tried out in Gujarat in 1993. Though seeds have been already planted over 450 hectares in Surat, Valsad and Bharuch -- oil palm trees bear fruit only after four years and continue bearing fruit annually for 25 years -- there was not a single mill in South Gujarat where oil could be extracted from palm seeds. Attributing this to red tapism, lack of dedication and other factors on the part of the government, he said, ``But serious efforts will be made from now''.

Acharaya will hold a meeting with representatives of Shri Kalyan Khet Utpaadan Rupantar Mandali, involved in the project, on Friday at Maroli in Navsari district and will submit his report to the State government in a month.

He said that a short-term as well as long-term policy on oil palm farming will then be announced by the government. On being reminded that earlier plans -- tea cultivation in Dangs for instance -- had not materialised, Acharaya stated that he would pursue this plan zealously.

``In addition, at least 75,000 unemployed youth should get means of employment once regular production begins,'' he said, adding that studies hade shown that there was a minimum of Rs 50,000 profit per hectare of oil palm plantation.

Interestingly, edible palm oil extraction is possible only if the seeds are crushed within 36 hours of being plucked from the tree unlike other oilseeds. If crushing is carried out later, the oil extracted can be used for only industrial uses like making soaps.