Reliance forays into commercial cultivation in Jamnagar

Jamnagar, Mar 18 (UNI) In a diversification of sorts, Reliance Industries Limited has forayed into commercial cultivation in around 2000 acres of land adjacent to its sprawling refinery at Jamnagar.

Reliance Industries Limited Director Hital Meswani told reporters that the venture would aim to make the environment cleaner around the refinery under RIL's wholly owned subsidiary, Jamnagar Farms Pvt Limited.

Apart from commerical cultivation of timber species, bamboo and casuarina among others, Jamnagar Farms has embarked on largescale mango plantation over 450 acres of land making it the single largest mango plantation in Asia.

Around 1.2 lakh mangoes were produced last year and trial exports were undertaken in Europe, Mr Meswani said.

The farm hopes to produce 3,500 tons of mangoes in three years to cash in on the global demand for the fruit.

Cultivation of aromatic plants were also undertaken in around 100 acres of land.

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