Khammam: Government gives subsidy to increase palm oil cultivation

Khammam: The State government is planning to increase palm oil cultivation in another 4,000 acres this year in the erstwhile Khammam district and encouraging the farmers by providing subsidies. It was planned to cultivate palm oil in about seven lakh acres across the State this year and encouraging the farmers accordingly in all districts.

Palm oil cultivation is going on in 40,000 acres in both Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts. Keeping in view the benefits from this cultivation, the State government has decided to turn in more farmers from cultivating commercial crops like chilly and cotton to palm oil by providing subsidies.

According to Kothagudem district Horticulture Officer J Mariyanna, the department is encouraging farmers towards palm oil cultivation by providing a subsidy of Rs 12,000 worth of fertilisers and plants per annum for a span of three years to the farmers cultivating in more than five acres and Rs 60,000 subsidy per acre per annum for three years to the farmers, who have NREGA job card and cultivating in less than five acres.

Farmers, who are cultivating chilly and cotton crops, are switching over to palm oil crop keeping its benefits in view.

Mariyanna said that yielding will start after one year of planting the saplings. He also said they are conducting awareness programmes and meetings with the farmers and encouraging them towards palm oil cultivation.

There are other benefits in cultivating palm oil as the farmers can grow other inter crops in the plantation. A farmer, K Ramakrishna said that 12 tons of yield per year per acre will have a price of Rs 10,904 per ton. This is one of the reasons that more farmers are showing interest in cultivating palm oil, but it needs more water.

The State government has set up two palm oil factories in Aswaraopet and Dammapeta mandals with a crushing capacity of 30 tons per hour.