Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to Inaugurate Oil Palm Processing Factory at Narmetta

• Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to inaugurate Narmetta oil palm processing factory.
• Oil palm processing factory aims to strengthen Telangana oil palm sector.
• Narmetta oil palm processing factory expected to benefit thousands of farmers.

A major step towards strengthening Telangana oil palm cultivation will take place on March 22 when Chief Minister Revanth Reddy inaugurates a new oil palm processing factory at Narmetta in Siddipet district. The facility has been constructed by Telangana Oilfed with an investment of about 300 crore rupees and was completed within roughly eighteen months.

Ahead of the inauguration Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Minister Ponnam Prabhakar visited the plant and reviewed the facilities. The leaders highlighted that the project is expected to create new opportunities for farmers and contribute to the expansion of oil palm cultivation in the state.

The processing unit has been developed with advanced Malaysian technology and is designed to handle between thirty and one hundred twenty tonnes of fresh oil palm fruit bunches every hour. The plant includes systems to produce crude palm oil and palm kernel oil while also featuring a four megawatt bio power generation unit and a zero liquid discharge water treatment system aimed at maintaining environmental standards.

During the inspection Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao explained that the government is actively encouraging farmers to adopt oil palm cultivation as a reliable source of long term income. According to him expanding oil palm farming will help strengthen Telangana position as a major hub for palm oil production in the country.

Minister Ponnam Prabhakar also emphasized that the new processing factory will bring direct benefits to farmers in surrounding areas. He encouraged farmers to consider oil palm as a profitable alternative crop and noted that earlier doubts about the crop suitability in the region are gradually disappearing.

At present oil palm cultivation in Telangana covers nearly 2.91 lakh acres. About 42758 farmers are growing the crop across approximately 1.8 lakh acres under the Telangana Oilfed network.

Currently crude palm oil produced in processing units at Ashwaraopeta and Apparaopeta is transported to states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka for refining. The refined oil is later procured by Oilfed and sold under the Vijaya brand.

To reduce this dependence the state government has also approved the establishment of an oil palm refinery at Narmetta with an investment of around 40 crore rupees. The refinery will be built on two acres of land next to the processing plant and the foundation stone will be laid on the same day as the factory inauguration.

Officials expect the refinery to be completed within six months. Once operational the facility will allow palm oil to be refined within Telangana itself marking another important step in strengthening the state agricultural processing sector.