Palm oil production in India is likely to be affected during winters.

26-Aug-2024 01:40 PM

Kuala Lumpur. The head of a leading research and development company of the oil palm sector in Malaysia says that it is possible to expand the area of ​​palm plantations in India, but palm oil production may have to face severe cold during winters.

The winter season in India is extremely cold, which can become an obstacle in the growth of palm pods.

According to the research firm, the average yield rate of oil palm in India is only 18-20 tonnes per hectare. To increase this, there is a dire need to invest adequate capital in this sector.

Serious efforts are needed to bring the yield rate of palm in India to the global average. Special attention should be paid to the development of palm species that can tolerate the winter cold.

A senior scientist of the research and development company says that the southern part of India experiences less cold as compared to the northern region.

Palm plantation area can be increased in states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. According to industry analysts, palm oil is the cheapest and most widely used vegetable oil in the world.

It is used for food purposes as well as in the manufacture of many other products. Indonesia and Malaysia are its two largest exporters and producers, while India is its largest importer.

A lot of effort is being made to increase the production of palm oil in India and hence the government has also started a scheme. But the country still has a long way to go in this direction.