Gadwal:
District Collector B.M. Santosh has asked officials to meet the targets for oil palm cultivation in the district. He gave these instructions during a meeting held on Saturday at the IDOC Conference Hall, which was attended by officials from the horticulture, agriculture, and rural development departments.
The Collector stressed the importance of working together to expand the area under oil palm farming. Out of the planned 10,000 acres for oil palm cultivation, 6,500 acres have already been identified. He encouraged the officials to bring the remaining 4,000 acres under cultivation by motivating more farmers. This would help in setting up an oil palm processing factory in Gadwal, which could improve marketing opportunities for local farmers.
The Collector also urged officials to create awareness among farmers about oil palm cultivation. He said farmers should be informed about the cultivation process, the available subsidies, and other important details. He also pointed out that during the early stages of oil palm farming, farmers can earn additional income by growing other crops between the oil palms. Agriculture officials at the mandal level were asked to guide farmers on this.
To further encourage farmers, the Collector suggested sharing success stories of those who have benefited from oil palm farming. He instructed officials to clearly explain the potential profits, income, and risks involved in oil palm farming. He also asked bankers to provide necessary loans and subsidies to farmers. The Rural Development Organization was told to promote oil palm farming under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
The government is offering various financial support to farmers. This includes Rs. 2,100 per year for four years (a total of Rs. 8,400) for crop management and intercropping, Rs. 11,001 for buying saplings, and Rs. 41,325 for farmers with MGNREGS job cards. For drip irrigation, SC and ST farmers get a 100% subsidy, BC farmers get 90%, and OC farmers get 80%. Farmers need to pay only a small share, along with a 12% GST. With this help, farmers can grow their crops at a lower cost and earn good yields.
The Collector also emphasized the importance of weekly reports to track progress, assuring that the goal is to provide farmers with a stable income.
Those present at the meeting included Additional Collector Narsinga Rao, District Horticulture Officer Akbar Basha, Agriculture Officer Sakriya Naik, LDM Ayyappu Reddy, officials from TS Oil Fed, and other officials from the horticulture, agriculture, and rural development departments.
