Telangana urges Centre to raise duty on palm oil imports

Meeting Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Telangana ministers said lower palm oil import duties were hurting farmers cultivating the crop across nearly three lakh acres.

Hyderabad: Telangana ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao and N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday, June 23, urged the Centre to take measures to safeguard the interests of oil palm farmers by increasing the import duty on crude palm oil and strengthening procurement support for farmers.

The ministers met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi and submitted representations highlighting issues affecting farmers in the state.

Reduction of import duty on crude palm oil hurting farmers: Tummala

Speaking after the meeting, Tummala said the reduction of import duty on crude palm oil to 16 per cent was adversely affecting oil palm growers. He urged the Centre to raise the duty to 44 per cent, arguing that the move would not only protect farmers but also support the objectives of self-reliance under Atmanirbhar Bharat and India’s edible oil self-sufficiency programme.

The minister noted that oil palm cultivation is spread across nearly three lakh acres in Telangana and said domestic producers require adequate protection from cheaper imports.

The Telangana delegation also sought the removal of the existing 25 per cent procurement cap on pulses and oilseeds. They requested the Centre to procure the entire produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to ensure remunerative returns for farmers.

The ministers further pointed out that the Telangana government had been compelled to procure large quantities of maize and sorghum as market prices had fallen below MSP. They urged the Centre to undertake procurement of these crops at MSP to reduce the burden on the state and provide assured income to farmers.

Members of Parliament Raghuveer Reddy and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy accompanied the ministers during the meeting.