Kothagudem: Government is taking measures to promote oil palm cultivation says Minister P Ajay Kumar

Kothagudem: The State government would extend all possible support to oil palm cultivation in the State, said Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar.

He also said that the government was taking all required measures for the promotion of oil palm cultivation by providing subsidies on the procurement of seeds, drip system, fertilisers and to help farmers earn profits.

Ajay Kumar inspected a palm oil factory at Apparaopet in Aswaraopet mandal in Kothagudem district on Saturday and interacted with the officials.

He appealed the farmers to make use of subsidies given by the government and take up oil palm cultivation. With the support extended to the palm oil industry by the CM, K Chandrashekhar Rao, the extent of land cultivated and the factories have been expanded in Aswaraopet and Dammapet mandals in recent times, he said.

At present, oil palm was being cultivated in about 40, 872 acres across the State. The crop was cultivated in 33, 812 acres in Kothagudem district and 6,845 acres in Khammam district, Ajay Kumar informed. There was a good demand for cooking oil in the country which was facing shortage for the oil and oil products.

The country needs 21 metric tonnes of oil while the production was only 7 lakh metric tonnes. About 15 metric tonnes of oil was being imported from abroad.

The State government would extend all possible support through the Telangana State Cooperative Oilseeds Growers' Federation Limited, which would look after marketing of the products and related matters, he added. MLC B Lakhmi Narayana, MLA M Nageswar Rao, ex-MLA T Venkateswar, the Oil Fed Chairman K Ramakrishna Reddy, its MD Nirmala, Horticulture officer J Mariyanna and others were present.