Kadiyam seeks palm oil processing unit in Warangal

Hanumakonda: In view of rapid increase in cultivation oil palm in the unified Warangal district, former Deputy Chief Minister and Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari has urged the government to set up a palm oil processing unit in the district.

He brought this issue to the attention of the government during the discussion on the agriculture sector in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Kadiyam said that with the incentives provided by the state government and the awareness being provided to farmers on crop rotation, farmers in the unified Warangal district are migrating towards farming oil palm instead of crops like paddy and cotton. He said that oil palm is already being cultivated to a significant extent in the unified district and that the cultivation area is likely to increase further in the coming days.

He explained that the palm oil palm fruits have to be transported to the processing factory within 24 hours after cutting. He said that if processing is not done within the stipulated time, the quality of the crop will decrease and farmers will suffer losses.

He said that currently, the burden of transportation costs is being borne by farmers as the palms have to be transported to factories in distant areas.

The MLA said that if a palm oil processing factory is set up in the joint Warangal district, the transportation costs of farmers will be reduced and the palms will be processed on time.

He said that the establishment of the factory will not only benefit palm oil farmers but also provide employment opportunities to local youth.

He urged the government to take proactive steps as the area under farm oil cultivation is likely to increase further in the future. Keeping the interests of farmers in mind, Kadiyam Srihari urged Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao to immediately sanction a farm oil processing factory in the joint Warangal district.

• The MLA raises the demand during the Assembly discussion on agriculture

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The Hans India