Warangal: Notwithstanding the government’s push to increase oil palm cultivation, its growth is sluggish in the erstwhile Warangal district as much as one would have desired.

Despite the stupendous demand for oil products in the country, farmers in the district are seems to be not very keen to take up oil palm cultivation, barring a few.

after the plantation of oil palm, the farmers have to wait around four years for harvesting fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from the crop. A crop in each acre produces 10 tonnes of FFB every year. The current market price per tonne of FFB is Rs 20,000. In a bid to encourage, the Horticulture Department is also giving a subsidy to those farmers who take up oil palm cultivation.

The farmers would get a subsidy of Rs 11,600 for saplings and Rs 4,200 for internal crops for four years. In addition to this, Rs 22,518 for drip irrigation.

Speaking to The Hans India, Mahabubabad District Horticulture & Sericulture Officer Jinugu Mariyanna, said, “Farmers’ response is good, since the Telangana Government started promoting oil palm cultivation in a big way statewide. We are sensitising the farmers to the long-term benefits they get.”

The official stats suggest that a little over 33,000 acres are under the oil palm cultivation in the erstwhile Warangal district. Ask the farmers in the erstwhile Khammam district where they cultivate oil palm in more than 1.10 lakh acres, they say oil palm cultivation is a money spinner. They who once roamed in cars, much to the envy of other farmers.

Vankudoth Divya of Kothapet under Bayyaram mandal in Mahabubabad district says, “Oil palm has become one of the assured income sources. It has no threat from pests, rain, or monkeys etc. Thanks to the district collector for taking us (farmers) on a field visit to Aswaraopet and Dammapet, where oil processing units existed.”