Hyderabad: A Rs 300-crore oil palm processing factory built by Telangana Oilfed at Narmetta in Siddipet district will be inaugurated on March 22 by chief minister A Revanth Reddy. The facility was completed in about 18 months.
Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and minister Ponnam Prabhakar inspected the plant ahead of its inauguration.
Plant capacity and facilities
The processing plant has been built using “advanced Malaysian technology” and has the capacity to process 30–120 tonnes of oil palm fresh fruit bunches per hour.
It includes facilities for the production of crude palm oil and palm kernel oil, a 4 MW bio-power plant, and a zero-liquid-discharge water treatment system.
Ministers’ remarks
Speaking during the inspection, Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the government is expanding oil palm cultivation in the state.
“The government is expanding oil palm cultivation to provide farmers with long-term, stable income and strengthen Telangana’s position as an oil palm hub,” he said.
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the factory will benefit farmers in the region.
“This factory will greatly benefit farmers in the region. Farmers should take up oil palm cultivation as a profitable alternative crop. Misconceptions about its viability in the region are now being removed,” he said.
Oil palm cultivation in Telangana
Oil palm is currently cultivated in about 2.91 lakh acres in Telangana. Around 42,758 farmers are cultivating oil palm on about 1.8 lakh acres under Telangana Oilfed.
At present, oil palm processing factories in Ashwaraopeta and Apparaopeta extract crude palm oil. The crude oil is transported to states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka where it is refined and converted into palm oil. OilFed procures the refined oil and sells it under the Vijaya brand.
Refinery planned at Narmetta
The state government has decided to establish an oil palm refinery at Narmetta with an investment of Rs 40 crore to enable refining within the state.
The proposal was taken to the chief minister by Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, following which it was approved. The refinery will be built on a two-acre site adjacent to the processing factory, and the foundation stone will be laid on March 22, the day of the factory’s inauguration, a press release said.
Officials said the refinery is expected to be completed in six months, after which palm oil production will begin in the state.
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