Tummala Seeks MSP For Oil Palm Farmers
The minister said the oil palm factory would provide direct employment to 200 people and indirect employment to another 700. He added that a Godrej refining factory would also be set up at the site.
Nalgonda: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday said the Central government’s import policies were causing losses to oil palm farmers.
He inspected the construction of the Oil Palm Factory being set up at Anjanapuram in Konijerla mandal of Khammam district.
Speaking on the occasion, he noted that India already imports more than 97 per cent of its oil requirements. He said the Centre should announce a minimum support price (MSP) for oil palm to encourage farmers to take up its cultivation. At the same time, he urged the Centre to amend its import policies to discourage the purchase of oils from other countries.
Pointing to the growing market demand for oil palm, he said farmers could cultivate it without hesitation and expect profitable returns. He added that in the next three years, Telangana would become the state with the highest oil palm cultivation in the country. He also recalled that the construction of a 125-tonne capacity factory in Siddipet had been completed and was now operational.
“Since oil palm is widely cultivated in six mandals of Khammam district and four mandals of Kothagudem district, the construction of the Godrej Oil Palm Factory at Anjanapuram must be expedited, and a trial run should be conducted by January 2026 under any circumstances. Construction work will be taken up in two shifts to complete it at the earliest,” he said.
The minister said the oil palm factory would provide direct employment to 200 people and indirect employment to another 700. He added that a Godrej refining factory would also be set up at the site. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has already signed an MoU with the Godrej Company to establish seed gardens, and land will soon be handed over for the purpose.
Rao said the oil palm factory being built in Peddapalli by the Tirumala Oil Company would be ready by January 2026; the one in Wanaparthy by February 2026; and the Oil Fed factory in Sathupalli by June 2026. About seven oil palm factories will be established next year, after which the state will have 14 private and seven Oil Fed factories.
He said efforts were underway to promote oil palm cultivation using solar systems in tribal areas. Palm oil, he added, is affordable and healthy. Given the high market demand, oil palm farmers can expect better income compared to other crops. Oil palms, he noted, are resilient to unseasonal rains, hailstorms, pests, monkeys and wild boars, and the cost of cultivation is low. He urged local leaders and officials to create awareness and encourage farmers to adopt oil palm cultivation.