Withdraw cut in crude palm oil import duty, Rythu Sangham urges Centre

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Farmers of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham stage a protest near the Sunkarivari Thota bridge on the outskirts of Eluru. File | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham leaders have demanded that the Centre immediately withdraw its decision to reduce the import duty on crude palm oil from 16.5% to 11%, saying the move would adversely affect oil palm and other oilseed growers in the country and the State.

Addressing the media here on Wednesday (September 30, 2026), the Sangham’s district president Katta Bhaskara Rao and secretary K. Srinivas said the reduction would destabilise domestic edible oil production and undermine efforts to make the country self-reliant in edible oils.

They said the Centre had earlier reduced the import duty on crude palm oil from 27% to 16.5% and had now brought it down further to 11%.

The leaders said farmers cultivating oil palm, groundnut and sesame in Andhra Pradesh would be particularly affected by the decision. They cited the reduction in import duty on cotton as an earlier example, saying it had adversely affected cotton growers.

They warned that lower import duties on edible oils could put further pressure on the prices received by domestic oilseed growers and affect their livelihoods.

The Sangham leaders demanded that the Centre withdraw the duty reduction and take steps to ensure a price of ₹25,000 a tonne for oil palm bunches.

They warned that they would mobilise oil palm farmers and launch agitations if the decision was not reversed.

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