Godrej Agrovet’s integrated oil palm complex in Khammam opened
An integrated oil palm complex of food and agri business company Godrej Agrovet in Telangana’s Khammam that brings together every stage of the oil palm
An integrated oil palm complex of food and agri business company Godrej Agrovet in Telangana’s Khammam that brings together every stage of the oil palm value chain, from seed and genetics, nursery, research and development centre, mill to an upcoming refinery was inaugurated on Monday. The company’s cumulative investment will be ₹300 crore once the entire complex is operational, the Godrej Industries Group company said in a release after the inauguration by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and others.
As part of the complex, Godrej Agrovet has set up a seed garden in partnership with leading global companies thus bringing their expertise in oil palm genetics to India. The partnership, along with the R&D centre at the complex, will support the company’s ongoing efforts to develop hybrid planting material that is tolerant of, and optimised for, Telangana’s local climatic conditions. The mill at the complex, first by a private company in the State, has commenced operations with a capacity of 30 tonnes per hour and has been designed for expansion up to 60 tonnes per hour allowing the company to scale processing capacity in sync with its target of increasing area under plantation in the State from current 10,000 ha to 30,000 by 2030.
The complex also houses a Samadhan Centre, the company’s flagship initiative that serves as a one-stop resource for oil palm farmers, offering advisory support and access to farm inputs and other services, Godrej Agrovet said. “Telangana’s oil palm mission is transforming the lives of lakhs of farming households while strengthening the nation’s edible oil security. Godrej Agrovet’s deep expertise in the oil palm sector has made them the right partner,” the Deputy CM said. Chairperson Designate of Godrej Agrovet Burjis Godrej said the complex is first of its kind in India and seeks to set a benchmark for what an integrated approach to sustainable oil palm can achieve.
“With the entire oil palm value chain under one roof, we gain greater control over quality and consistency,” MD and CEO Sunil Kataria said.
The BriefWire