CHENNAI, JUNE 19: The oil palm refinery of the Tiruchirapalli-basedCauvery Palm Oil Ltd, is expected to begin commercial production nextmonth. ``We are in the final stages of plant erection and in allprobability it will be commissioned in the second week of July 2003, Mr VR Jayamani, general manager of the project told òf48óFEòf45ó fromTiruchirapalli. This demonstration-crushing-unit is being established atVaranavasi village, Ariyalur Taluk, Perambalur district.

The Rs 4-crore project, with a Central government assistance of Rs 240lakh, has a capacity to process 2.5 tonnes of fresh fruit an hour. ACentrally-sponsored Oil Palm Devlopment Programme has been under operationin 10 districts of Tamil Nadu.

Oil palm is cultivated mainly in Thanjavur, Perambalur and Tiruchidistricts in over 2000 ha. In the composite Thanjavur district 150hectares are already yielding fruits. Cauvery Palm Oil now collects thefruits and send them to Andhra Pradesh for processing. In theTiruchy-Perambalur belt 300 hecatres are ready for harvest. Next year thearea is expected to go up to 700 hectares and year after that to 1500hectares, Mr Jayamani said.