Oil palm to be cultivated in 11,400 acres in Karimnagar: Collector RV Karnan

Collector RV Karnan informed that they have fixed a target to cultivate oil palm in 11,400 acres in the district this year.

Karimnagar: Collector RV Karnan informed that they have fixed a target to cultivate oil palm in 11,400 acres in the district this year.

Collector participated in oil palm cultivation training given to agriculture extension officers, agriculture assistants and horticulture department officials organized jointly by horticulture and sericulture and agriculture departments at Chigurumamidi mandal headquarters here on Tuesday.

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Speaking on the occasion, he said that the district administration has fixed a target to cultivate oil palm in 11,400 acres of land in the district this year. He asked AEOs to identify the farmers, who are willing to cultivate oil palm, and motivate them to pay DD for saplings.

Stating that maintenance cost of the crop was very less, he said that farmers could cultivate cotton and chilly as intercrop after four years. There was huge demand for oil palm in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and South America. Selected farmers would be provided saplings from January 2023, he informed.

Deputy Director, Horticulture, Bandari Srinivas said that there was no threat of monkeys for oil palm crop. The yield, which would start after three years of plantation, would continue for 30 years. It was possible to get Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.20 lakh income per year if the crop was cultivated in one acre of land, he informed and added that the horticulture department would provide maintenance expenditure besides subsidies drip irrigation.

District Agriculture Officer, V Sreedhar instructed that every AEOs should identify farmers according to the target given to them. The state government has allocated Lohia Company to the district.

ZP CEO Priyanka, agriculture officials, AEOs, horticulture officials, representatives of Lohia Company and others participated in the training programme.