The phased revival of Beechupalli oil mill of the Telangana State Cooperative Oilseeds Growers Federation Ltd (TS-Oilfed) in Jogulamba-Gadwal district is set to begin on Monday with the symbolic plantation of oil palm seedlings by Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy.
The unit established with the help of the National Dairy Development Board in 1990 had an oil mill with a capacity of 200 tonnes, a solvent mill with a capacity of 100 tonnes and also a refinery with 100-tonne capacity. It was shut down in 2003 owing to financial problems. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had supported the strike of workers and farmers against closure of the mill during combined Andhra Pradesh rule.
According to officials, oilseeds growers’ cooperative unions were launched in September 1980 as part of achieving self-reliance in the production of oilseeds in the country.
The member farmers of the unions were supplying raw material and oilseeds such as groundnut and sunflower to the mill till its operations were closed.
Payment to NDDB
As part of the revival plan finalised, the TS-Oilfed has entered into an agreement with NDDB to pay ₹8.44 crore as one-time settlement against the dues of ₹26.03 crore. Accordingly, ₹4.22 crore has already been paid to the NDDB for a phased revival of the oil mill to help the farmers in the area. However, it would be refurbished into an oil palm crushing unit now.
Farmers of Atmakur, Alampur, Gadwal, Kollapur, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy in the combined Mahabubnagar district would be encouraged to take up oil palm cultivation, the officials said, adding that the government had been providing ₹20,000 subsidy per hectare of oil palm cultivation for a four-year period. Raising of oil palm plantations would enable farmers to take up cultivation of inter-crops through out its 30-year life span.
Production of oil palm bunches would begin four years after the plantation and the farmers were likely to get ₹75,000 to ₹80,000 per acre, Oilfed officials said.
Capacity building
They stated that the Minister was planning to take about 1,000 farmers from the combined Mahabubnagar district on a visit to oil palm plantations in Sattupally, Aswaraopet and Apparaopet areas in Khammam district and Pedavegi area in West Godavari district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, with the aim to start oil palm cultivation in Mahabunagar by next agriculture year.
The Indian Institute of Oilpalm Research at Pedavegi had already identified 206 mandals in Telangana as suitable for oil palm cultivation and the horticulture department was encouraging farmers to take up the plantation, Oilfed officials said.
