The Hindu Business Line : AP set on ambitious oil palm project

Andhra Pradesh, which leads in oil palm cultivation with 75,000 hectares under the crop, is seeking to increase the area by one lakh hectares during the Eleventh Plan period, according to Ms Udaya Lakshmi, Additional Commissioner for Horticulture.

She was speaking in the three-day national conference on oil palm that began here on Saturday. It is being organised by the Society for Promotion of Oil Palm Research and Development, founded by Dr P. Rethinam, former Director of the National Research Centre on Oil Palm, near Eluru.

Material scarcity

Ms Lakshmi said even though farmers are enthusiastic, plant material scarcity is a major problem impeding the area expansion in the State.

“We are providing micro irrigation to oil palm, subsidising it to 75 per cent, and so far we have covered 20,000 hectares out of 75,000. We will soon cover the rest of the area,” she said.

The Additional Commissioner said that 12 companies were given permission to set up processing factories in the respective zones and nine of them have established the units.

She said, “Andhra Pradesh has been identified as the State with the greatest potential (4 lakh hectares) for oil palm cultivation. As we have so far realised less than one-fourth of it, we will make earnest attempts to bridge the gap,” she promised.

Teeth troubles over

Praising the efforts made the State Government, Dr Rethinam said that initially there were many sceptics, when oil palm cultivation was taken up in Andhra Pradesh.

“The teething troubles are over and farmers are now convinced that there will be very good returns on the crop. I am sure Andhra Pradesh will make rapid strides and set an example to other States,” he remarked. Referring to the scarcity of plant materials, he said that during 2007 the oil palm scenario changed dramatically in Indonesia.

More Stories on : Cultivation | Oilseeds & Edible Oil | Andhra Pradesh

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