The State government’s efforts to promote oil palm cultivation in a big way appears to be gaining traction in the erstwhile composite Karimnagar district, with scores of farmers evincing interest in growing the edible oil crop.
In line with the government’s thrust on encouraging crop diversification, the Horticulture department recently organised a series of exposure visits for local farmers to Aswaraopeta, the hub of oil palm cultivation in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district.
The department has also organised awareness programmes in the old undivided Karimnagar district to highlight the potential of oil palm crop to provide sustainable income for farmers. The government’s budgetary support and subsidies for cultivation created a renewed interest among a section of farmers.
Two oil palm nurseries have been set up, one each in Karimnagar and Jagtial districts to ensure supply of high-yielding planting material through the authorised agencies concerned, sources in the Horticulture department said.
Nearly two lakh oil palm seed sprouts have been imported from Costa Rica and stocked in the two nurseries to nurture them for the next 12 months before supplying them to the farmers, sources added.
Around 2,000 farmers have already enrolled their names with the Horticulture department in Karimnagar district. More than 800 farmers have applied for cultivation of oil palm by availing subsidy in Rajanna-Sircilla district.
A group of farmers from Gambhiraopeta mandal is presently on an exposure visit to Dammapeta and Aswaraopeta mandals in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district to gain a deeper insight into the best farm practices and cultivation methods.
With the number of interested farmers steadily increasing, a challenging task lies ahead for the Horticulture department to ensure timely supply of planting material, government subsidies, requisite infrastructure for processing the Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs) and technical knowhow to the farmers from the agencies concerned.
When contacted, the Deputy Director of Horticulture Department, Karimnagar, Bandari Srinivas said over 2,000 farmers have applied for cultivation of oil palm crops in over 10,000 acres in Karimnagar district.
Plans are afoot to encourage farmers to take up cultivation of oil palm crop in around 50,000 acres in the district over the next five years, he said, adding that oil palm crop is known for multifarious uses including edible and industrial purposes with a potential to augment income for farmers and reduce the country’s dependence on palm oil imports.
