ELURU: Andhra Pradesh is leading in oil palm cultivation in the country and West Godavari district is a major contributor of oil palm. Thousands of farmers in the region are cultivating oil palm due to favourable climate. The Central government had increased import duty on oil palm, thus doubling farmers’ income in Andhra Pradesh. The Centre is also offering subsidy to oil palm cultivation to reduce edible oil imports.
The oil palm cultivation is advantageous for farmers due to lack of major pest problems, no requirement of intensive labour or huge amount of water and the crop yield brings in high returns. Since farmers have been facing problems in raising paddy in the rain-fed areas in the district, they are now looking for an alternative crop that provides them with a way of sustainable income. The oil palm cultivation is a ray of hope for them as it is sustainable and needs only low maintenance but gives high returns.
3F Oil Palm Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. is a leading company in the market, which has been educating farmers about the new and emerging techniques for raising the crop. It is also enlightening the farmers about the right time to harvest the crop. The company is conducting a month-long farmer awareness drive at Nallajerla, Tadepalligudem, Chagallu, Nidadavolu, Deverapally, and Bhimadole in West Godavari district. On Friday, awareness campaign was held at Kadiyadda in Tadepalligudem mandal.
“Oil palm cultivation has certain nuances that we as farmers must know. Taking the right step at the right time is very important to get good yield. It is important for us to know when to harvest oil palm. In the camp we were told about the do’s and don’ts in oil palm cultivation and the newer techniques to identify the right stage of our crop for expecting higher yield,” said Venkateswar Naidu, an oil palm farmer of Kadiyadda village.
Oil palm farming expert and company representative, Srinivasa Rao Killari said that the cultivation is lucrative for farmers who are practising the right techniques. “Farmers are expecting to earn up to a maximum of Rs 90,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per acre. It is important that farmers in this sector know the right time to harvest the crop and transfer the same to collection centres immediately. We are striving to educate farmers on the best practices to ensure maximum yield.”
Beginning this financial year, the government has increased the incentive from Rs 23,000 per hectare to Rs 30,000. The farmers would also be getting a subsidy of Rs 10,000 per hectare and free seedling distribution for 15 hectares. The incentives are likely to be Rs 30,000 per hectare for four years and Rs 7,000 per hectare to farmers growing vegetables as an inter-crop in their oil palm plantations. In addition to this, Rs 15,000 is also given to the farmers for setting up a compost yard for producing organic manure.
Centre encouraging oil palm cultivation
The Centre had increased import duty on oil palm, thus doubling farmers’ income in the State. The Centre is also offering the subsidy to oil palm cultivation to reduce edible oil imports. The oil palm cultivation is a ray of hope for farmers as it is sustainable and needs only low maintenance but gives high returns.