HYDERABAD: You have to do things differently to get different results, and that is what Chinthabhatla Shashikant and Jyothi realised after their ancestral land was not bringing much profit. For 30 years, rice and cotton were being cultivated in their land at Maddikal in Mancherial district, but they did not see much improvement in the livelihood of the farmers who were growing the crops.
The couple, who work in an MNC bank in Hyderabad, then decided to make use of the oil palm cultivation scheme being promoted by the Telangana government. Talking to Express, Jyothi said: “The oil palm tree takes three years to grow, and after that, it does not require any kind of maintenance.
Palm oil is used in medicines, cosmetics, biscuits, soaps and other products.” “TRS MLA Balka Suman helped us understand the nitty-gritty of oil palm plantation. He arranged for a bus to take our field workers to another plantation and understand the farming process. The state government is providing subsidies to farmers cultivating this crop.
While each sapling costs Rs 200 in the market, we got it at a subsidised rate of Rs 28. Other items like water sprinklers are also subsidised, and the government installs them too. Additionally, each farmer is given maintenance costs,” added Shashikant.
Explaining other details about the plantation process, Jyothi said: “We have planted 360 saplings in six acres, and plan to sow more in the remaining land. We can grow other crops too in between the palm trees. Four families take care of the crops, and we go there occasionally. Thanks to technology, a lot of the work can be done through smartphones.”