BRS leader KTR met oil palm farmers in Jaishankar Bhupalpally district and learned about their problems. He discussed the BRS government’s vision to promote palm oil cultivation and promised more subsidies and support in the future.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [भारत]July 8 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president K. Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) on Sunday met oil palm farmers in Jaishankar Bhupalpally district to understand their concerns, experiences and suggestions. During his recent visit to the district, KTR had a long conversation with farmers cultivating palm oil. According to a release, they reviewed the results of the crop diversification initiative launched by the previous BRS government and discussed the challenges currently faced by farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, KTR said the vision of expanding oil palm cultivation in Telangana to 20 lakh acres was inspired by former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR). He explained that the BRS government’s objective was to develop oil palm cultivation on the lines of Malaysia and Indonesia, thereby reducing India’s dependence on imported edible oils and enabling farmers to earn almost three times the income from traditional crops like paddy.
KTR said that during the tenure of the BRS government, palm oil cultivation in the state increased from about 1,50,000 acres to about 3,00,000 acres. He said that if the present Congress government continues to support the sector, the area under cultivation can increase to 7,00,000 acres.
Farmers shared their experiences and challenges
During the conversation many farmers shared their experiences. Anil, an IT professional who works from home for HCL, said he cultivates palm oil on seven acres. He told that the crop started bearing fruits after four years and now 4 to 5 tonnes per acre is being produced. He said this crop provides a steady income every month like a salaried job. Other farmers pointed out that oil palm is more resistant to changing climate conditions and requires less water than rice cultivation, a release said.
Farmers also raised many issues before KTR. He claimed that there was a need for more mechanization due to labor shortage and requested government assistance to install additional drip irrigation lines as the trees grew larger. He also appealed to the central government to impose anti-dumping measures, saying imports of cheap palm oil were causing losses to domestic farmers.
KTR gave assurance to the farmers
Responding to the farmers’ suggestions, KTR assured them that the future BRS government will provide more support to palm oil producers. He promised higher subsidies to buy farm machinery like tractors and slashers to encourage mechanization. He also announced special assistance for setting up the second phase of drip irrigation systems required as the plantations mature.
According to a release, KTR also announced that BRS will organize special study tours to Malaysia so that farmers can see first-hand world-class palm oil farming practices. He said farmers would be able to study advanced farming techniques, mechanization and efficient water management methods, which could later be adapted for use in Telangana.
Criticism of Congress government on Kaleshwaram project
During the meeting, KTR also strongly criticized the current Congress government. He alleged that it has completely failed to effectively utilize the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, causing large amounts of water to flow into the sea while farmers’ crops are drying up.
Questioning the government’s approach, KTR said, “If there is a small leak in one part of a house, will you demolish the entire house?” He argued that sidelining the entire Kaleshwaram project because of problems in a section of the Medigadda barrage is seriously harming the interests of farmers. They demanded that the government immediately operationalize the Kannepalli pump house, lift water, fill the reservoirs and save the standing crops, the release said.
KTR said farmers’ welfare has always been KCR’s life’s mission and praised Telangana farmers for setting an example for the rest of the country in crop diversification. He expressed confidence that BRS will return to power in 2028 and said the party will then fully realize its goal of making Telangana the state with the largest area under oil palm cultivation in India. (ANI)
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