Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Telangana Minister Slams Centre Over Palm Oil Import Duty Cuts
Telangana’s agriculture minister is unhappy with a decision by India’s central government.
The government reduced import duties on crude and processed palm oil.
This makes imported cooking oil cheaper to bring into India.
The minister says this could hurt farmers who grow oil palm in Telangana.
He believes the government should protect farmers before helping importers.
He wrote to the prime minister and several Union ministers about the issue.
He also asked the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to raise the matter.
Telangana has 88,621 farmers who depend on oil palm farming, according to him.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao criticized the Centre for reducing duties on cooking oil imports.
He said the decision would hurt Telangana’s oil palm farmers and favor importers over domestic producers.
Nageswara Rao urged the Centre to prioritize Indian farmers before reducing import duties.
He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers to review the decision.
Telangana grows oil palm across 1.19 lakh hectares, supporting 88,621 farmers, according to the minister.
- Who
- Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao criticized the Central government and urged several Union ministers and chief ministers to act.
- What
- The minister opposed the Centre’s reduction of import duties on crude and processed palm oil.
- When
- The report does not specify when the duty decision or the minister’s letters occurred.
- Where
- The issue concerns Telangana’s oil palm farmers and the Central government in India.
- Why
- Nageswara Rao said lower import duties could harm domestic oil palm farmers and place importers’ interests above farmers’ interests.
- State
- Telangana
- Minister
- Tummala Nageswara Rao
- Oil palm area
- 1.19 lakh hectares
- Farmers dependent on crop
- 88,621
- Policy decision
- The Centre reduced duties on crude and processed palm oil imports.
- Minister’s demand
- The Centre should prioritize farmers and reconsider the import-duty reduction.
- Requested political action
- Nageswara Rao urged A. Revanth Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu to raise the matter with the Centre.