TS aims to emerge as largest palm oil producer in country

Hyderabad: The Telangana State is soon aiming to emerge as the largest Palm Oil production State in the country as it proposed an amount of Rs 1,000 crore in the 2023-2024 budget outlay for oil palm cultivation with a target of 20 lakh acres.

Farmers already came forward in big numbers in old Khammam district and adopted Oil Palm cultivation which guaranteed regular profits with low investments. The government already conducted a study which said that farmers were getting a net income of Rs 1.50 lakh per annum per acre from oil palm cultivation.

"The moisture content in the air in Telangana has increased significantly following the construction of check dams and other water conservation programmes. As a result, the State has become suitable for the cultivation of oil palm", said an official and added that huge allocations to oil palm cultivation will help to extend incentives on a large scale to motivate the farmers to take up the cultivation which was already yielding high income to the farmers. Oil palm plants, fertilisers and drip irrigation facility will be provided on subsidy to the farmers.

Officials said that the government identified suitable places for oil palm cultivation in old Warangal, Karimangar and Nalgonda districts where the irrigation facility was already developed and the dry lands are suitable for taking up the farm activitives.