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Ch. Prashanth Reddy

Hyderabad , Dec. 9

THE Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Oilseeds Growers Federation Ltd (Apoilfed), which was initially funded by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), is making substantial profits, thanks to the State Government that has permitted it to supply edible oils to Rythu Bazars, Gruhamitra counters and for the mid-day meal scheme.

The federation, which is currently functioning by utilising its own resources, has posted a turnover of Rs 206.55 crore in 2002-03 as against Rs 102.57 crore in the previous year. Of this, the proceeds from the sale of edible oils accounted for Rs 154.13 crore. The net profit of the federation last fiscal stood at Rs 6.75 crore as against just Rs 70 lakh in the previous year.

Apoilfed has launched marketing of groundnut, sunflower, soyabean, palmolein, coconut and gingelly oils besides vanaspathi in 1984-85 under the brand name "Vijaya" and established a large distribution network across the State over a period of time.

Consequently, the sales have improved from an initial 200 tonne to 40,000 tonne per year now. Accordingly, its sales turnover from edible oils had gone up from a mere 5 crore per annum to Rs 154 crore last fiscal.

Apoilfed was established in 1964 with the objective of enhancing oilseeds production in the State and its core functions included oil palm development, production, procurement and distribution of oilseeds and marketing of edible oils.

It started operations in 1983, initially covering six districts and subsequently extending to 11 districts. The entire project was funded by NDDB for promoting primary societies extension programmes and establishment of processing units.

Apoilfed officials told Business Line that it was the only federation in the country at present that was making significant profits. A pioneer in oil palm development in the State, it had set up an oil palm processing unit as well as an oil palm nursery at Pedavegi in West Godavari district. The Union Government's Technology Mission on Oilseeds and Pulses funded the processing unit, commissioned in 1992. Initially, it had a capacity of 1 tonne per hour (tph). This was upgraded to 2 tph and then to 4 tph during 1995.

The federation officials said that Apoilfed had so far developed 4,240 hectares of oil palm plantations. Last year, it had processed and sold Rs 11.42 lakhs worth of fresh fruit bunches of oil palm. It had also supplied 1.5 lakh quintals of groundnut seed and 33,200 quintals of seeds of other crops to farmers.

It had initiated seed multiplication programme for groundnut and soyabean by procuring breeder seeds from agriculture universities.

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