Hyderabad: Telangana government grows high hopes on oil palm says Niranjan Reddy

Hyderabad: Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Wednesday asked officials to take steps for making Telangana be first in the cultivation of oil palm.

During a review meeting on Oil Fed, he stressed during the meeting of Oil Fed to take steps to bring into production groundnut oil mill in Beechupalli and crude palm oil mill at Aswarao Pet. The two mills have been taken over as part one-time settlement. He said that the groundnut oil is in good demand in the market and steps should be taken to provide quality groundnut oil to the people.

Similarly, he said it is proposed to establish a modern oil mill to extract crude palm oil from the palm cake after the extraction of the Kernel oil at Aswaraopet. Also, 30 metric tonnes of storage tanks would be established for refining the crude palm oil, he added.

He also asked the Oil Fed to use 2 per cent of the profits under the Corporate Social Responsibility on the works beneficial to the farmers. He said that the responsibility of Oil Fed is going to increase in near future with the expanding cultivation of oil palm in Telangana. Agriculture Secretary B Janardhan Reddy and Oil Fed MP Nirmala and others present.

The minister asked the companies to conduct awareness programmes among farmers in their allotted areas on the cultivation of oil palm. He said that the companies have to conduct village-wise surveys under the factory zones and submit the reports to the State Horticulture Department.

Niranjan Reddy said that the State has set a target of reaching targeted cultivation of palm oil in an extent 8.14 lakh acres in the next four years. Accordingly, so far eight companies have been allocated about 4.61 lakh acres in 15 districts for the cultivation of the palm oil. He asked the companies who have entered into agreements with the State Horticulture Department to ensure that the cultivation starts in time and they should select with the cooperation of the horticulture department farmers with the lands with water facility for the cultivation of palm oil gardens.

He asked the Oil Fed to extend its cooperation and asked the companies to follow IIOPR guidelines to establish nurseries to grow oil palm trees to provide the same to the selected farmers. The agriculture minister stressed on importing better verities of seeds of palm oil from other countries which would yield more oil.

Besides, the companies are asked to appoint agriculture graduate with experience to assist farmers to adopt better management practice and technical skills in the planting, growing, management of palm oil gardens and harvesting of yields.

State Agriculture Secretary Janardhan Reddy, Oil Fed MD Nirmala, Director of Horticulture Venkata Ram Reddy, Oil Fed Chairman Ramakrishna Reddy, representatives from the NABARD and SLBC were present at the review meeting.