Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy today stressed the need for oil palm production and commercial crops.
He attended a virtual meeting through the T Sat channel and instructed the officials concerned to encourage the farmers in the state to produce oil palm.
There is a huge demand for oil production in the country and we are importing heavy quantities by spending Rs 70000 cr he said.
To tide over this problem the 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 the farmers should come forward he called upon. We will give incentives and subsidies for the oil palm cultivation for the farmers, the minister said.
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The Agriculture sector in the state is reaping in benefits with more production and completion of the irrigation projects he claimed. Now that the Centre is importing heavy quantities of oil from other nations we can grab this opportunity he wooed.
The 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. The minister said that the people in the country consume 22 lakh mt liters while only 7 lakh mt liters 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 36000 including Rs 24000 subsidy for the first year, Rs 5000 during second and third years for oil palm cultivation he said.
Taking this opportunity the farmers have to take up oil palm production by taking necessary suggestions he said. The Minister asked the farmers to take necessary training and upgrade their skills from farm experts and extension officers.
Against the cultivation of 80 lakh acres, only 8 lakh acres are used for oil palm cultivation. The Minister said that the Telangana government decided to cultivate the same in 20 lakh acres.
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He informed that each ton of oil palm price in the open market is Rs 19,000 and every acre produces 19 tons to 20 tons yield.
Oil palm production should be practiced to get more benefits and contribute to state economic development.
SOURCE-NSS
