Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy has suggested the farming community to shift focus on to the cultivation of crops such as oil palm along with traditional crops which give good income.
Speaking at an awareness meeting on oil palm cultivation organised on the National Farmers’ Day here on Monday, the Minister said the demand for edible oils is high in the country but the nation is not self-sufficient in the production of oilseed. As a result, the country is being forced to spend about ₹70,000 crore on imports of edible oils every year.
Stating that oil palm is one of the main edible oil crops, he said the soil and weather conditions in different parts of Telangana are suitable for oil palm cultivation. The Centre had already identified 206 mandals suitable for oil palm in Telangana and in the first phase it had allowed the State to go for oil palm cultivation on 50,000 acres.
The Minister told the legislators and Zilla Parishad chairpersons from the districts suitable for oil palm cultivation to encourage the farmers go for it since the Centre is also providing subsidy and there is an assured marketing facility with support price mechanism in place.
At another event, the Minister inaugurated marketing company of a farmer produce organisations’ (FPO) federation for sale of quality fruits and vegetables. Stating that the federation would help the farmers get proper price to their produce by tying up their produce directly with market chains, he pointed out that lack of proper marketing facility had made some farmers who bought high breed buffaloes from Haryana suffer losses.
Admitting that some farmers are suffering losses in the absence of marketing facility for their quality produce, Mr. Niranjan Reddy said the federation would be an example to overcome such problems, at least for a section of farmers tied up women self help groups linked to the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP).
Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Minister for Tribal Welfare Satyavathi Rathod also participated in the events.
Principal Secretary (Agriculture) C. Parthasarathi, Horticulture Commissioner L. Venkatarami Reddy, Oilfed Chairman K. Ramakrishna Reddy, several legislators and others attended.
