Shortage concern: Governor urges pulses, oil palm cultivation

Hyderabad: Citing a shortage of pulses and edible oils in the country, Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla has advised the state government to prioritise the cultivation of oil palm and pulse crops.

This was a part of the discussions Shukla held with the Telangana state planning board vice chairperson and expert committee on El Nino impact chairperson G Chinna Reddy on Saturday, August 1 where the latter also submitted a report on the impact of El Nino, according to Times of India

Guv flags heavy imports

The Governor shared his views on several issues related to farming and agricultural development, said the report. Shukla pointed out that India has a shortage of pulse crops, forcing it to fall back on imports.

He said the Centre spends around Rs 34,054 crore every year on importing pulses to meet domestic demand. The country also spends nearly Rs 1.61 lakh crore annually on importing edible oils to meet its needs.

Increasing domestic production of oil palm would reduce this import burden, he pointed out, even as he lauded the state’s efforts in maintaining its cultivation.

He also lauded the state government’s initiatives to promote horticulture and vegetable cultivation.