Oil palm farmers staged a massive protest in Dwaraka Thirumala under the auspices of the Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Association against the central government’s decision to reduce the import duty of palm oil.
Farmers demanded that the uprooting of oil palm be Stopped .Otherwise, they warned that they would stage a dharna in front of the factory.
BY – RAJA PENTAPATI AP BUREAU CHIEF
National News
Amaravati June 2 (Bharat News) AP
Oil palm farmers held a massive dharna on Monday in M.Nagulapally, Dwarakathirumala mandal, in Eluru District under the auspices of the Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Association, opposing the central government’s decision to reduce the import duty on palm oil from 20 percent to 10 percent.
They raised slogans demanding a remunerative price for oil palm kernels and demanded that factory owners should not harvest the kernels.
Speaking on the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Farmers’ Association State Assistant Secretary K. Srinivas said that Andhra Pradesh is ranked first in the country in oil palm cultivation. He expressed concern that the drastic reduction in import duty on crude palm oil will lead to a sharp decline in the price of oil palm kernels and oil palm farmers will suffer serious losses.
The cost of producing a ton of oil palm kernels is Rs. 22,000, and in 2017 itself, the Central Committee for Price Determination (CACP) had calculated the cost of production per ton of kernels at Rs. 10,035, but it has increased by another Rs. 12,000 in eight years. The price has now decreased from Rs. 20,290 to Rs. 18,860, and there is a risk that this price will decrease by more than Rs. 2,000.
He expressed his concern that the oil palm farmers, who are losing money due to the lack of production costs, will face further losses. He demanded that the oil palm farmers be supported by providing them with a remunerative price.
He warned that if the central Modi government does not reconsider the reduction in import duty, they will mobilize the oil palm farmers and launch large-scale agitations.
Andhra Pradesh Farmers Association District President Katta Bhaskara Rao and Mandal President Boyapati Satyanarayana said that, They criticized the uprooting of the palms brought by the farmers at the Nagulapalli oil palm plantation as cruel in the name of green palms. They demanded that the uprooting of oil palm palms be stopped. Otherwise, they warned that they would stage a dharna in front of the factory.
Bharat News Andhra Pradesh
