Governor Urges Focus on Pulses and Oil Palm Cultivation

Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla urged the state government to focus on increasing the cultivation of pulses and oil palm to reduce the country's dependence on imports. During a meeting at Raj Bhavan with State Planning Commission Vice Chairman Dr. G. Chinna Reddy, Agriculture Department officials, and the expert committee on the El Niño impact, the Governor reviewed the committee’s report and discussed key agricultural issues.

The Governor said India spends nearly ₹34,054 crore annually on importing pulses and around ₹1.61 lakh crore on edible oil imports. He noted that expanding the cultivation of pulses and oil palm could help reduce shortages and strengthen food security. He also appreciated the Telangana government's efforts in horticulture and vegetable cultivation and praised the El Niño expert committee for its detailed recommendations.