Oil palm cultivation gains momentum across Telangana

metro india news I hyderabad

Oil palm cultivation has received a major boost in Telangana following the Congress government’s decision to focus special attention on the commercial crop. With the government providing seedlings, incentives and awareness programmes to farmers, interest in oil palm cultivation has been steadily increasing across the state. The state government had set a target of expanding oil palm cultivation to 85,000 acres this year.

However, the response to online registration has exceeded expectations, with farmers submitting applications to cultivate oil palm on as much as 1.10 lakh acres.Officials have already completed field-level verification of 88,000 acres of the registered land and certified it as suitable for cultivation. Administrative approvals have been issued for 65,350 acres, while nursery tagging has been completed for 51,852 acres. Planting has already been completed on 26,702 acres.

Strong incentives for oil palm cultivation

The Telangana government has been offering subsidised seedlings and drip irrigation equipment have helped significantly expand the area under the crop. According to officials, oil palm cultivation has expanded by a record 2.91 lakh acres in Telangana since the formation of the state. The government provides a subsidy of Rs 46,250 per acre for oil palm cultivation. Financial assistance is also extended for drip irrigation and intercropping.

Bhadradri Kothagudem leads the state

Bhadradri Kothagudem district tops Telangana in terms of oil palm cultivation, with farmers cultivating the crop across 92,525 acres. Khammam ranks second with 49,993 acres, followed by Nalgonda with 16,336 acres and Siddipet with 16,316 acres. Across the 31 districts, farmers have established oil palm plantations over a total of 3,17,747 acres. The availability of a support price of more than Rs 25,000 per tonne is another factor encouraging farmers to take up oil palm cultivation.

Protection from monkeys and wild boars

Monkey attacks have become a major problem for farmers cultivating several traditional crops across the state, often resulting in significant losses. Oil palm plantations offer relief from this problem. Another advantage is that oil palm plantations require comparatively less day-to-day management and face fewer labour-related challenges. With continued government subsidies and the establishment of oil palm crushing mills, Agriculture Department officials are confident that Telangana could emerge as a major “palm oil hub” in the coming years.