Telangana producers angry over falling oil palm prices

04-Jul-2024 11:13 AM

Hyderabad. Telangana farmers are angry as the price of oil palm (palm pods) has fallen to less than Rs 13,000 per tonne and they are demanding the government to immediately intervene and take necessary steps to ensure its price at least Rs 25,000 per tonne.

The price of palm is running about 50 percent lower during 2024 as compared to 2022. According to the Oil Palm Growers Society, the current price level is not profitable for the farmers and this may discourage them from production.

The society has demanded the establishment of an Oil Palm Board to overcome these challenges and difficulties, which is causing trouble to the producer. This will also help in ensuring the use of good quality inputs and solving other issues.

The formation of a board is necessary for the development and expansion of oil palm plantations and the government should immediately pay attention to this.

Khammam district is considered to be the most prominent area of ​​oil palm in Telangana. Every year about 3 lakh tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of palm are produced there. Since there has been a lot of development and expansion of the cultivated area, the production is expected to increase almost twofold in the next two years.

According to the society, the Oil Palm Board can regulate the crop of palm and can also control the companies which get land from the government to set up palm nurseries and refining units. The price of oil palm has never fallen so low before.

The price of oil palm is falling due to negligible import duty on palm oil. In such a situation, it has become difficult for the indigenous producers to continue palm production.