Kothagudem: Officials told to educate ryots on oil palm
Kothagudem: Increased irrigation facilities in Telangana made agricultural lands across the State suitable for oil palm cultivation, said Government Whip and Pinapaka MLA Rega Kantha Rao.
In addition to irrigation, free and uninterrupted power supply to agricultural needs had also helped farmers take up oil palm cultivation. The State government had been making committed efforts to promote oil palm in Telangana, he said.
Kantha Rao attended an oil palm cultivation awareness meeting at BG Kothur in Aswapuram mandal of the district on Saturday and visited local oil palm fields. Speaking on the occasion, he appealed to farmers to go for oil palm cultivation. Horticulture officials should educate farmers about cultivation of oil palm as there was good demand for palm oil in the market. In order to give impetus to oil palm cultivation, the government was offering subsidies to farmers who take up oil palm cultivation, he said.
The MLA noted that the government had planned to increase the area under oil palm cultivation from the present 50,000 acres to nearly two lakh acres in the days to come to address the demand for palm oil. Telangana State Cooperative Oilseeds Growers Federation (TSOILFED) had also planned to establish oil processing units in addition to increase the production capacity in the existing units in Aswaraopet and Dammapet mandals in the district, he said.
Kantha Rao suggested the farmers cultivate crops like betel nut, black pepper and vegetables as intercrops in oil palm fields to increase the income potential from each acre of land.
Later in the day, the MLA distributed CMRF cheques worth Rs 20 lakh to 30 beneficiaries at his camp office in Manugur. Financial assistance under the CMRF would provide great relief to those who spent money on getting medical treatment, he said.
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