Telangana pushes to become oil palm hub

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Telangana is taking major steps to establish itself as a leading oil palm hub, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said, highlighting the government’s initiatives to expand cultivation and provide farmers with a reliable, long-term source of income. Oil palm, he noted, can provide continuous returns for 25 to 30 years, offering farmers financial stability and a “golden future.”

In Siddipet district’s Nanganuru mandal, the minister inspected the state-of-the-art oil palm processing factory at Narmetta, built with an investment of Rs 300 crore under Telangana Oil Fed. The factory, using advanced Malaysian technology, can process 30 to 120 tons of oil palm fruit per hour. It also features a 4 MW bio-power plant and a zero liquid discharge water treatment facility, efficiently converting residual waste into electricity while generating local employment.

“This factory is a game-changer for Telangana’s farmers. It not only ensures stable income but also creates new employment opportunities, and it will inspire confidence in expanding oil palm cultivation across the state,” Tummala said. He added that the government completed the project in just 18 months and that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will soon inaugurate it.

Farmers will benefit from quick payments, subsidies up to Rs 50,921, free saplings, and drip irrigation systems. Telangana currently has around 2.91 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation, involving over 42,000 farmers. The government aims to expand this to 10 lakh hectares, promoting oil palm alongside rice and other commercial crops.

With the growing domestic demand for cooking oil, the Narmetta factory is expected to strengthen agriculture, boost farmer incomes, and position Telangana as a model state for oil palm cultivation in India.