Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao said that cultivation of oil palm would change the fate of farmers for better and they would get rich dividends.
Addressing a gathering after laying foundation stone for the construction of oil palm factory at Narmetta in Siddipet district along with Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy on Wednesday, Mr. Harish Rao said that farmers can get a revenue of ₹ 1.5 lakh per acre and the crop would be procured by TSIOLFED and factory is being established in Siddipet district to extract the oil.
“We are importing worth of ₹1. lakh crore palm oil from other countries unable to produce oil palm. There is a huge demand for this crop and already crop was sown in about 3,000 acres in the district. Seeds for about 20,000 acres will be ready by July end. We request public representatives to encourage farmers in cultivating oil palm,” said Mr. Harish Rao.
Referring to the paddy procurement, the Minister has alleged that the Centre has been playing politics. “In Telangana there will be more broken rice when we go for milling of paddy during summer. Only parboiled system can reduce the broken rice. Despite knowing this Centre has been creating problem and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to buy all the paddy that was produced in the state and bear the loss whatever it might be,” said Mr. Harish Rao adding that the BJP is unable to digest progress and development in Telangana. He has also ridiculed the comments made by TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy and Lok Sabha member Komatireddy Venakata Reddy and said that there was not even remote chance of Congress coming to power as claimed by these leaders. “The Congress party is loosing its existence across the nation and the leaders here are day dreaming,” said Mr Harish Rao.
Mr. Nirajan Reddy said that Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao made all efforts to bring pressure on the Centre to procure paddy and even held dharna at New Delhi and finally the government took the decision to come to the rescue of farmers by procuring paddy. He has thanked the Chief Minister for taking that decision and performed Palabhishekam to the flexi of Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao along Mr. Harish Rao and others.
The Minister said that the Chief Minister has decide to encourage palm oil cultivation in the state and it would change the fate of farmers.
