Chittoor farmers shift to oil palm as alternative for better returns

At ₹20k per tonne, ryots can earn ₹2L per acre, double income by raising cocoa as intercrop

- K SURENDRA KUMAR @ Chittoor

THE State government is promoting oil palm cultivation as a high-yield, income-generating alternative to traditional horticulture. In Chittoor district, farmers are increasingly turning to oil palm over crops like mango and sesame, citing higher returns and reduced risk.

Oil palm is gaining popularity due to India's growing demand for edible oils and continued reliance on imports. In 2020-21, the country imported 133.5 lakh tonnes of cooking oil, costing ₹80,000 crore, despite domestic production of 122.89 lakh tonnes.

Chittoor has around 72,000 acres under horticulture, mainly mango and tomato. Recognising the region's climate and soil suitability, the Horticulture Department identified six mandals—Nagari, Nindra, Vijayapuram, Karvetinagaram, Srirangarajapuram and Gangadhara Nellore—for large-scale oil palm cultivation.