NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave the green light to the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) to increase domestic oilseed production and achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils . The initiative will span from 2024-25 to 2030-31 and has been allocated a budget of Rs 10,103 crore.
The primary objective of the mission is to boost primary oilseed production from the current level of 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. Additionally, it aims to expand oilseed cultivation by an extra 40 lakh hectares.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the decision and said that this is major step towards Atmanirbharta.
"The Cabinet’s approval for a National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) is a major step towards Atmanirbharta. This mission will boost domestic oilseed production, support hardworking farmers and encourage sustainable agricultural practices," said PM Modi in a post on X.
India currently imports more than 50 per cent of its annual edible oil requirement. It imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while Brazil and Argentina supply soyabean oil and Sunflower comes mainly from Russia and Ukraine.
"The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), a landmark initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance in edible oils," government said in an official statement.
The NMEO-Oilseeds will prioritize increasing the production of key primary oilseed crops, including rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, and sesamum. It will also focus on improving collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, and tree-borne oils.
The mission along with NMEO-OP (oil palm), aims to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31, meeting approximately 72 percent of the projected domestic requirement.
To achieve these goals, the mission will encourage the adoption of high-yielding, high oil content seed varieties, expand cultivation into rice fallow areas, and promote intercropping. Furthermore, it will leverage cutting-edge global technologies, such as genome editing, to develop high-quality seeds.
"The mission will harness ongoing development of high-quality seeds by using cutting-edge global technologies such as genome editing," the government said.
To ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, the mission will introduce an online 5-year rolling seed plan through the 'Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI)' portal. This will enable states to establish advance tie-ups with seed-producing agencies, including cooperatives, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and government or private seed corporations.
"65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units will be set up in public sector to improve the seed production infrastructure," as per the statement.
Additionally, the government has announced plans to develop over 600 value chain clusters across 347 districts, covering more than 10 lakh hectares annually. These clusters will be managed by various partners, including FPOs, cooperatives, and public or private entities, providing farmers with access to high-quality seeds, training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and advisory services on weather and pest management.
Support will be provided to FPOs, cooperatives, and industry players to establish or upgrade post-harvest units, focusing on enhancing recovery from sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, corn oil, and tree-borne oils (TBOs). Additionally, the mission will promote awareness of recommended dietary guidelines for edible oils through an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign.
"The mission aims to significantly enhance domestic oilseed production, advancing the goal of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in edible oils, thereby reducing import dependency and conserving valuable foreign exchange while boosting farmers' incomes," the statement said.
The government has highlighted the country's heavy reliance on imports and several measures have been undertaken to address this issue, including the launch of the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with an outlay of Rs 11,040 crore to boost oil palm cultivation in the country in 2021.
Furthermore, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for mandated edible oilseeds has been significantly increased to ensure remunerative prices for oilseed farmers. The continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures that oilseed farmers receive MSP through price support scheme and price deficiency payment scheme. Lastly, a 20 per cent import duty on edible oils has been imposed to protect domestic producers from cheap imports and encourage local cultivation.
The primary objective of the mission is to boost primary oilseed production from the current level of 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. Additionally, it aims to expand oilseed cultivation by an extra 40 lakh hectares.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also hailed the decision and said that this is major step towards Atmanirbharta.
"The Cabinet’s approval for a National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) is a major step towards Atmanirbharta. This mission will boost domestic oilseed production, support hardworking farmers and encourage sustainable agricultural practices," said PM Modi in a post on X.
The Cabinet’s approval for a National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) is a major step towards Atmanirbharta. This mission will boost domestic oilseed production, support hardworking farmers and encourage sustainable agricultural practices.…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 3, 2024
India currently imports more than 50 per cent of its annual edible oil requirement. It imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while Brazil and Argentina supply soyabean oil and Sunflower comes mainly from Russia and Ukraine.
"The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), a landmark initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production and achieving self-reliance in edible oils," government said in an official statement.
The NMEO-Oilseeds will prioritize increasing the production of key primary oilseed crops, including rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, and sesamum. It will also focus on improving collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, and tree-borne oils.
The mission along with NMEO-OP (oil palm), aims to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31, meeting approximately 72 percent of the projected domestic requirement.
To achieve these goals, the mission will encourage the adoption of high-yielding, high oil content seed varieties, expand cultivation into rice fallow areas, and promote intercropping. Furthermore, it will leverage cutting-edge global technologies, such as genome editing, to develop high-quality seeds.
"The mission will harness ongoing development of high-quality seeds by using cutting-edge global technologies such as genome editing," the government said.
To ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, the mission will introduce an online 5-year rolling seed plan through the 'Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI)' portal. This will enable states to establish advance tie-ups with seed-producing agencies, including cooperatives, farmer producer organizations (FPOs), and government or private seed corporations.
"65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units will be set up in public sector to improve the seed production infrastructure," as per the statement.
Additionally, the government has announced plans to develop over 600 value chain clusters across 347 districts, covering more than 10 lakh hectares annually. These clusters will be managed by various partners, including FPOs, cooperatives, and public or private entities, providing farmers with access to high-quality seeds, training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and advisory services on weather and pest management.
Support will be provided to FPOs, cooperatives, and industry players to establish or upgrade post-harvest units, focusing on enhancing recovery from sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, corn oil, and tree-borne oils (TBOs). Additionally, the mission will promote awareness of recommended dietary guidelines for edible oils through an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign.
"The mission aims to significantly enhance domestic oilseed production, advancing the goal of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in edible oils, thereby reducing import dependency and conserving valuable foreign exchange while boosting farmers' incomes," the statement said.
The government has highlighted the country's heavy reliance on imports and several measures have been undertaken to address this issue, including the launch of the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with an outlay of Rs 11,040 crore to boost oil palm cultivation in the country in 2021.
Furthermore, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for mandated edible oilseeds has been significantly increased to ensure remunerative prices for oilseed farmers. The continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) ensures that oilseed farmers receive MSP through price support scheme and price deficiency payment scheme. Lastly, a 20 per cent import duty on edible oils has been imposed to protect domestic producers from cheap imports and encourage local cultivation.
You may also like
SA-W vs WI-W: Dream11 Prediction Match 3, ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024
Mumbai: Crime Branch Unit Rescues Kidnapped 1-Year-Old, Woman Arrested In Jaipur After 15-Day Manhunt
Indore: Start Mutation Of Plots Below 2,000 Square Feet By Admin panel; Suggestion Given To Link Diversion Tax Accounts With Property Tax
Melania Trying To 'Take Down' Donald Trump? 'The View' Host Sunny Hostin's Fiery Claim
