Chittoor district emerges hotspot of oil palm cultivation
Chittoor district launches a major push for oil palm cultivation to reduce India’s edible oil imports. With high yields and strong subsidies, farmers benefit from public-private partnerships, government support, and assured MSP. Identified mandals are seeing growing interest as officials aim to make palm oil a profitable alternative to traditional oilseeds amid rising national consumption and import costs.
The Chittoor district administration has embarked on an action plan to promote oil palm cultivation. Officials say this crop could be a boon to farmers, given India’s heavy reliance on edible oil imports.
Comparing the national demand and supply of edible oils, a project officer working on the palm oil cultivation in the Chittoor district said the per capita edible oil consumption in India saw a sudden spike from 15.8 kg in 2012-13 to 19 kg by 2023. “In spite of producing over 125 lakh tonnes of edible oil, the imports stood at 133.5 lakh tonnes in 2020-21, worth close to ₹1 lakh crore,” the officer said.
Turning this into an opportunity, the government launched an action plan to incentivise oil palm cultivation, considering its higher yield compared with regular oilseed crops— up to six tonnes of oil a hectare.
District Collector Sumit Kumar told media persons here that Chittoor has 72,000 hectares under horticulture sector. “We have identified half a dozen mandals, including Nagari, Nindra, Vijayapuram, SR Puram and others as congenial for palm oil farming,” he said.
He said public-private partnerships were being drafted for this purpose, with major edible oil manufacturers like Godrej Agrovet, FFF and Amma Palm Oil engaging in the project through sapling distribution, organising awareness camps for farmers and modalities for produce procurement.
Mr. Sumit Kumar said that under this government-supported project, farmers would receive substantial subsidies to the tune of ₹29,000 an hectare towards importing saplings; ₹10,500 in annual subsidy for four years for intercropping and maintenance; and financial backing for drip irrigation systems, harvesting tools and machinery. After the harvest, the government would ensure a Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers during the procurement, which is set at ₹20,750 a tonne for 2025-26.
Elumalai, an oil palm cultivator from Nagari mandal, said the crop pattern had fetched him ₹15,000 from 30 cents of land. Prasad Raj of Vijayapuram mandal said he achieved a 27-tonne yield from four acres in 2024, and expected to expand the acreage this year.
To Read more about Edible Oil News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : The Hindu
