Tue Jun 17 18:07:39 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewrite into a news article:

**Summary:**

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is urging the Indian central government to reconsider its recent decision to reduce import duties on Crude Palm Oil (CPO). He argues that this reduction, particularly during the peak planting season, will harm oil palm farmers, discourage future cultivation, and undermine the goals of the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP). Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for a large portion of India’s oil palm cultivation, has invested heavily in promoting the crop and fears the duty reduction will reverse progress.

**News Article:**

**Andhra Pradesh CM Urges Reconsideration of Palm Oil Import Duty Reduction**

**VISAKHAPATNAM, June 17, 2025** – Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to the central government to reconsider its recent decision to reduce import duties on Crude Palm Oil (CPO) by 10%. In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Naidu warned that the policy shift, announced on May 30, could severely impact oil palm farmers and jeopardize the success of the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

Naidu argued that the timing of the reduction, during the peak plantation season, would lead to a drop in prices for growers, eroding their confidence and potentially dissuading new farmers from adopting the crop. “This decision… stands to seriously undermine the long-term vision and efforts being made…to promote oil palm cultivation under the NMEO-OP,” the Chief Minister stated.

Andhra Pradesh is a major oil palm producing state, accounting for over 50% of India’s total cultivation area with 1.74 lakh farmers cultivating across 2.49 lakh hectares. The state has invested significantly in promoting oil palm expansion, including incentives, infrastructure development, and farmer outreach programs.

A delegation led by Telugu Desam Party Lok Sabha leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayulu met with Union Home Minister Shah in New Delhi to deliver Naidu’s letter. Devarayulu emphasized the need for policy revision and support for farmers, urging the Ministry of Cooperation to address the issue of price stability.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the state has already achieved 67,727 hectares of oil palm coverage from 2021–2025, and targets an additional 50,000 hectares this year under the NMEO-OP. He also pointed out that the national level policy decisions at the national level risk undoing the momentum that has collectively built.

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