Cut import duty on oil palm plants: Niranjan Reddy to Centre

Adarshnagar: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy has urged the Centre to reduce import duty on oil palm plants to push its production. He wrote a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Reddy stressed the need for encouraging oil palm production in a big way.

He said Telangana plans to plant oil palm saplings in 20 lakh acres. "We need 14.4 crores of oil palm plants for its cultivation to cater to future needs. The Centre increased import duty on oil palm saplings only to incur losses," he felt.

"This should be reduced to encourage farmers to take up oil palm cultivation. The country consumes more oil as it produces less quantities of oil palm. Keeping this in view we need to support and give all incentives to farmers."

Reddy also said that unless the Centre decreases import duty on oil palm plants, the country cannot improve its production capabilities. He hoped that the Centre will take necessary action and support oil palm production.