Telangana Targets 50,000 Acres of Oil Palm Cultivation in Siddipet to Boost Farmers’ Incomes

The Telangana government has set a target of expanding oil palm cultivation to 50,000 acres in Siddipet district , aiming to promote sustainable agriculture and provide farmers with a more profitable alternative to traditional crops. Labour and Mines Minister Dr. G. Vivek Venkataswamy announced the initiative while participating in a Mega Oil Palm Plantation Programme at Janagama village in Akkannapet mandal of Husnabad constituency along with Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar .

The district currently has around 14,000 acres under oil palm cultivation , and the government is encouraging farmers to gradually shift towards crops that can generate higher and more stable incomes. To accelerate adoption, the ministers announced an attractive incentive package for villages promoting large-scale oil palm farming.

Under the initiative, any village that brings more than 100 acres under oil palm cultivation will receive ₹5 lakh as a government incentive . Dr. Vivek further announced an additional ₹5 lakh contribution as the district in-charge minister , taking the total incentive for eligible villages to ₹10 lakh .

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Vivek said the demand for edible oils is rising steadily across the country, while international market fluctuations continue to impact prices. Increasing domestic production, he noted, is essential to reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's edible oil security. For this reason, the state government is giving significant importance to expanding oil palm cultivation.

The minister explained that although oil palm requires a waiting period of about four years before farmers begin earning substantial returns, the crop offers significant long-term income potential . During the initial years, farmers will continue to receive government subsidies and benefits under existing farmer welfare programmes.

He also highlighted that oil palm requires less water than paddy cultivation , making it a suitable option in changing agricultural conditions. Farmers in the region will benefit further from the presence of an oil palm processing factory near Husnabad , ensuring easier marketing and processing of produce.

Referring to the agricultural scenario in the state, Dr. Vivek said Telangana procured 25 percent more paddy last year despite challenges related to the availability of water from the Kaleshwaram project. However, with warehouses currently filled with grain, export restrictions on rice and reduced procurement by the Food Corporation of India, farmers need to explore crops that offer higher returns.

The minister also revealed that farmers in the Chennur region have shown growing interest in oil palm cultivation. He urged public representatives and agriculture department officials to conduct extensive awareness campaigns at the village level to encourage wider adoption of the crop.

During the programme, the ministers felicitated Sampath , a farmer successfully cultivating oil palm, and appreciated his efforts. Several officials and public representatives, including Munnuru Kapu Corporation Chairman Bomma Sriram Chakravarthy , Joint Collector Lakshmi Kiran , and Market Committee Chairman Tirupati Reddy , attended the event.