Telangana to promote oil palm cultivation in 8.14 lakh acres

At present, oil palm crop is being cultivated in about 48,806 acres in the State

Hyderabad: The State government is aiming to promote cultivation of oil palm in around 8.14 lakh acres in Telangana to cater to the increasing demand for cooking oil and also improve the income levels of farmers. At present, oil palm crop is being cultivated in about 48,806 acres in the State.

In response to questions raised in the State Assembly on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said several measures were initiated to promote cultivation of oil palm in about 8.14 lakh acres covering 25 districts in the State which are suitable for this crop cultivation. He said Telangana was conducive for oil palm cultivation considering the soil variety and availability of water and other resources.

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“Oil palm trees in the State can produce about 21 per cent oil as against the national average of 18 per cent. Farmers can earn four times their investment on the crop, besides growing internal crops excluding paddy and sugarcane,” he said.

The Minister stated that there was an increasing demand for cooking oil with about 21 million tonnes of cooking oil being used in the country. Nearly Rs 90,000 crore is being spent in foreign exchange towards importing different cooking oils. He said oil palm cultivation needs to be promoted in about 70 lakh acres to meet the country’s needs in the future. Besides oil palm, the State government is also promoting cultivation of sesame and other oil crops by providing incentives.

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