Govt targets two lakh acres of oil palm cultivation per year: Minister Tummala
Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Tuesday announced that the Telangana government will bring two lakh acres under oil palm cultivation each year over the next four years. The initiative aims to establish Telangana as India’s leading oil palm-producing state.
While reviewing progress with oil palm companies at the Secretariat, Tummala reported that total cultivation now stands at 2.74 lakh acres. Of this, farmers added 2.28 lakh acres since 2021–22. However, the minister expressed concern that they had covered only 31,158 acres so far this year well below the 1.25 lakh-acre target.
District accountability and expansion measures
The minister stated that over 12 lakh acres in Telangana are suitable for oil palm cultivation. He urged companies to accelerate efforts and warned that the government would hold negligent operators accountable.
Tummala identified Warangal, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Rajanna Sircilla, Gadwal, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Jagtial, and Adilabad as underperforming districts. To improve outcomes, he instructed companies to increase field staffing, build consistent engagement with farmers, and ensure proper water and fertilizer management.
Moreover, he called for the adoption of high-yielding varieties and asked companies to set up nurseries and farmer advisory centres. He also encouraged experienced growers to lead awareness campaigns for their peers.
Infrastructure to support production growth
Tummala reviewed progress on new oil palm processing facilities. He said factories in Narmetta, Peddapalli, Khammam, Wanaparthy, Kallur Gudem, Beechupalli, and Mulugu would begin operations between November 2025 and August 2026.
He emphasised that this expansion would help reduce India’s dependency on edible oil imports while significantly increasing rural incomes and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.
Senior horticulture department officials and company representatives attended the meeting.
