Planting oilpalm seedlings in 557 acres was taken up across three mandals in the combined Rangareddy district on Saturday as part of the government plan to take up edible oil plantation on 5,000 acres by July-end.
Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao along with Chevella MLA Kale Yadaiah participated in the plantation taken up at Devuni Erravelly village of Chevella mandal, while Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy participated in the programme at Bodakonda village of Manchala mandal, and Kalwakurthy MLA Kasireddy Narayan Reddy at Cheepunuthala village of Talakondapally mandal.
It was also taken up in Kandukuru and Farooq Nagar mandals too.
Speaking to farmers on the occasion, the Minister stated that a total of 32,000 oilpalm seedlings were planted in 557 acres belonging to 111 farmers in five mandals on Saturday. The price of oilpalm bunches was only 鈧12,000 per tonne when the Congress government assumed office, while it has increased to 鈧18,748 per tonne now, he said.
He suggested the farming community to go for commercial plantations such as oilpalm, instead of traditional crops, as taking up the edible oil crop plantation would give yield up to 30 years. Local MLA Mr. Yadaiah requested the Minister to provide drip irrigation implements and a pack-house, an integrated facility where harvested horticultural produce is processed and stored, on subsidy to the farmers taking up oilpalm cultivation.
The Minister assured to extend the drip systems to oilpalm farmers as also other inter-crops raised in the plantation, without any conditions.