TS will boost oil palm as Centre vetoes paddy says Minister G Kamalakar

Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister G Kamalakar criticised that the Centre has failed to procure paddy from the State. He asked the farmers to take up alternative crops instead of paddy as the Centre is not able to procure the stocks. The State government will encourage oil palm cultivation in the State in a big way, he announced and added that the government was encouraging crops other than paddy and ensuring the farmers get benefits through subsidies.

Kamalakar visited his agriculture land cultivating oil palm on Saturday. He informed that oil palm cultivation will benefit the farmers as each acre will yield 10 quintals of oil palm on production and offers Rs 80,000 income. Also, the oil palm crops will sustain from four years to 40 years on sowing, he said.

The BJP-led Central government has failed to keep the promise of procuring paddy and give minimum support price and raise paddy limits from the State, he charged. Informing that 20.5 lakh metric tons of paddy worth Rs 3,925 cr was procured this time, he urged the farmers not to worry as they are procuring more stocks from purchase points. He claimed that one lakh metric tons of more paddy was procured this time from the farmers.