Telangana, Bihar Agree to Exchange Oil Palm and Makhana Farming Expertise

Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha met with Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao at the Secretariat in Hyderabad on Wednesday to discuss inter-state agricultural cooperation. The two leaders discussed joint efforts in technology, crop diversification, and the exchange of best practices, with Bihar agreeing to study Telangana’s oil palm model and Telangana seeking to learn from Bihar’s makhana industry.

During the meeting at the Secretariat, Minister Sinha expressed a strong interest in Telangana’s oil palm cultivation framework. He highlighted specific areas Bihar wishes to evaluate, including the financial and operational incentives provided to farmers, nursery development processes, the functioning of processing mills, and the expansion of micro-irrigation facilities.

Sinha stated that Bihar will examine the feasibility of introducing and promoting oil palm cultivation in suitable regions across the state. To facilitate this learning process, Bihar plans to send a delegation of government officials and farmers to Telangana to inspect the facilities and gain direct field experience with the cultivation model.

Responding to the proposal, Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao assured the visiting delegation that Telangana would extend all necessary technical support to assist Bihar with its oil palm development plans. Simultaneously, Minister Tummala stated that Telangana is eager to learn from Bihar’s established experience in makhana cultivation, particularly regarding processing methods and marketing strategies.

Telangana has been actively expanding its oil palm sector over recent years. According to state officials, Telangana brought 3.1 lakh acres under oil palm cultivation in 2025-26, producing 74,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil.