Telangana Civil Supplies Minister G Kamalakar today criticised the Centre for failing to procure paddy from the state, and asked the farmers to take up alternative crops hereon.
The state government would encourage oil palm cultivation in a big way, and also ensure that the farmers got benefits through subsidies for such cultivation, he said.
Kamalakar was speaking after visiting his agricultural land cultivating oil palm.
He said that oil palm cultivation would benefit the farmers.
"Each acre of land will yield 10 quintals of oil palm on production, and offer Rs 80,000 in income. Also, oil palm crops survive from four years to 40 years on sowing," he said.
He also slammed the union government for failing to procure paddy from the state, giving MSP or raising the paddy limits for the state. However the state government was procuring more stocks of paddy, and the farmers should not worry, he said.
"The government is procuring paddy from the various purchase points set up, and the farmers should not worry in this regard. We have so far procured 20.5 lakh metric tons of paddy worth Rs 3,925 crore. One lakh metric tons of additional paddy has been procured this time," the minister added.