: In Andhra Pradesh, oil palm is bringing economic prosperity – but at what cost? #IndiaNEWS Mature palms flank the winding dirt track leading to Tallavalli village. A Chandrasekar Rao has made his

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In Andhra Pradesh, oil palm is bringing economic prosperity – but at what cost? #IndiaNEWS
Mature palms flank the winding dirt track leading to Tallavalli village. A Chandrasekar Rao has made his homestead here in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, on a four-hectare oil palm farm. He is happy about his decision to switch from farming mangoes in 1996. His income has tripled as a result.In neighbouring West Godavari district, maize, rice and oil palm fields vie for space. Balusu Bala Chandrasekar of Mundur village says his oil palm farm helped him educate both his sons as engineers and to build a house.In the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, oil palm farmers are pleased with their crop. They earn more and do not have to deal with middlemen to sell their produce. Millers buy the oil palm fruit bunches directly and pay within two weeks.Oil palm is touted as a win-win for farmers, the palm oil industry and the government. But the economic prosperity appears to be coming at a critical cost: water.Oil palm in AndhraIndia has been importing palm oil since the 1960s, at a cost of billion per year. With increasing demand representing a drain on foreign exchange, the Indian government has been resolutely promoting domestic oil palm cultivation since the 1990s.It plans to expand palm oil plantations across the...Read more

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