Hyderabad: Farmers urged to take up oil palm cultivation

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy has stressed the need for oil palm production and commercial crops. He attended a virtual meeting through T Sat channel and instructed the officials concerned to encourage farmers in the State to produce oil palm. "There is a huge demand for oil production in the country. We are importing heavy quantities by spending Rs 70,000 crore," he said.

"To tide over this problem farmers in Telangana should go in for cultivation of oil palm and get all support from the government", he said. "The government aims to cultivate oil palm in 20 lakh acres and farmers should come forward. We will give incentives and subsidies for oil palm cultivation to farmers," Reddy stated.

"The agriculture sector in the State is reaping benefits with more production and completion of the irrigation projects", he claimed. "Now that the Centre is importing heavy quantities of oil we can grab this opportunity," he remarked.

"Farmers in the State should immediately take up oil palm production and get benefits through the yield. There is a huge demand for oil in the country", he said. "People in the country consume 22 lakh mt litres while only seven lakh mt litres of oils are produced in the country. To fill this gap, Telangana farmers should shift to oil palm, theel, sun flower and groundnut and other commercial crops which get them benefits. The government offers Rs 36,000 including Rs 24,000 subsidy for the first year, Rs 5,000 during second and third years for oil palm cultivation," he said.

Taking this opportunity, farmers have to take up oil palm production by taking necessary suggestions, the minister stated. He asked farmers to take necessary training and upgrade their skills from experts and extension officers. "Against the cultivation of 80 lakh acres only eight lakh acres are used for oil palm cultivation," he expressed. The minister said that the government decided to cultivate the same in 20 lakh acres.

He informed that each tonne of oil palm price in the open market is Rs 19,000 and every acre produces 19-20 tonne yield.

Oil palm production should be practised to get more benefits and contribute to the State economic development, he stressed.