Stakeholders Convene In Hyderabad To Advance Sustainable Palm Oil Development

New Delhi, Jul 18 (KNN) The Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME) organised a stakeholder dialogue on sustainable palm oil development in Hyderabad. 

Over 60 participants from government agencies, farmer organisations, industry, and civil society discussed the future of palm oil production in Telangana and India.

Telangana produced over 53,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil in 2023, operating 14 processing facilities, 44 nurseries, and 2.55 lakh acres under cultivation across 31 districts. 

The state is positioned to lead India's sustainable palm oil development under the National Mission on Edible Oil - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

Dr. Ashutosh A. Murkute, Director General, NI-MSME, emphasised the need for multi-stakeholder dialogues to bridge gaps between producers, processors, traders, and policymakers. 

Rijit Sengupta, CEO, CRB, highlighted India's progress in palm oil development and noted that the country's 'low-risk' designation under the EU Deforestation Regulation creates opportunities for global market expansion.

Smt. V. Sarojini Devi, Joint Director, Horticulture & Sericulture for Telangana, outlined the state's interventions including Rs 4 crore in awareness programs, youth-based "Harvest Groups," and community initiatives. 

She called for better coordination between departments and technical institutions to address scaling challenges.

CSR Murthy, Former Chief General Manager of NABARD, discussed financial institutions' role in supporting palm oil production, while Dr. Ramesh Mittal, Senior Advisor at CRB, presented agro-marketing strategies to position Telangana as a sustainable palm oil hub.

Technical sessions examined the business case for sustainable palm oil and international benchmarks. The event concluded with group discussions identifying challenges and opportunities across production, consumption, and marketing. 

Representatives emphasised the importance of continued collaboration to align India's edible oil ambitions with sustainability principles.

(KNN Bureau)