Telangana seeks increase in crude palm oil import duty to 44%

23-Jun-2026 05:56 PM

New Delhi: The Telangana government has urged the central government to raise the import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) from the current 10% to 44%. It has also requested that the entire quantity of urea produced at the Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) plant be allocated exclusively to Telangana.

These demands come at a crucial time, as sowing of Kharif crops in Telangana is expected to gain momentum soon. The state has a large area under oil palm plantations and has been actively promoting further expansion of oil palm cultivation.

The issue was raised by Telangana’s Industries Minister during a meeting with the Union Commerce Minister in New Delhi. The state government argued that increasing the import duty on crude palm oil would help protect the interests of domestic oil palm growers by improving the competitiveness of locally produced palm oil.

Regarding urea, Telangana pointed out that disruptions in fertilizer supplies last year caused significant difficulties for farmers. To avoid a repeat of such shortages during the current agricultural season, the state has requested that all urea produced at the Ramagundam plant be reserved for Telangana’s farmers.

Telangana remains one of India’s leading oil palm-producing states, and the government continues to encourage expansion of oil palm plantations to boost domestic edible oil production and reduce dependence on imports.