Edible Oils National Mission – Cabinet Approves Multicrore Mission
Cabinet approves ₹10,103 crore National Mission!
Imagine a future where vast fields of blooming sunflowers, golden mustard, and rich soybeans grow across the landscape, providing us with homegrown oil that feeds millions of people and where India no longer depends on other countries to keep up with the growing demand of its increasing population.
The vision is on the skyline, thanks to the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oilseeds (NMEO Oilseeds).
Investing in agriculture means harvesting prosperity and a sustainable and brighter future for all.
The Union Cabinet has approved the national mission on edible oilseeds, which aims to strengthen Indian domestic oilseed production and decrease its import dependence. The mission aims to make India self-reliant in edible oils by 2030, covering the period from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a budget of ₹10,103 crore.
NMEO-Oilseeds’ primary focus is increasing the production of oilseed crops, including soybean, sunflower, rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, and sesame. It also works to improve oil extraction from secondary sources like cotton seed, rice bran, and tree-borne oil. The aim is to focus on raising primarily oilseed production from 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 69.7 million tonnes by the end of this mission period.
In collaboration with the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm with the initiative to achieve 25.45 million tonnes of domestic edible oil production by 2030-31, which fulfills around 72% of expected national demand.
To ensure the timely supply of quality seeds, an online 5-year rolling plan through the SATHI portal (Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory). This platform will further enable several seed-producing agencies at the state level to coordinate including cooperative Farmer farmer-producer organizations (FPOs). The government also plans to develop 65 new seed hubs and 50 public sector 50 seed storage units as a part of enhancing the seed production capacity.
Over 600 value have been developed across 347 districts covering over 1 million hectares annually. They will bring together farmers with high-quality seeds, GAP training, and advisory services on weather and pest management.
Additionally, the mission has proposed the expansion of an additional 4 million hectares of oilseed cultivation by using vacant lands allotted for rice and potatoes through intercropping and crop diversification. The government will be a catalyst in assisting the FPOs and cooperatives in setting up or upgrading the post-harvesting facilities to pursue increased recoveries from sources including cottonseed and rice bran.
Hence, there will be an IEC campaign that raises public awareness regarding edible oils’ dietary guidelines and, therefore, pushes towards achieving the objectives defined by the mission.
This would, by a considerable margin, reduce India’s dependence on imports because imports currently meet 57% of this country’s edible oil demand. Increasing domestic production will save foreign exchange, improve the farmers’ income, and enhance environmental sustainability through reduced water usage and better soil health.
The previous initiatives of the government included the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm, which was allotted ₹11,040 crore for encouraging oil palm cultivation. To raise a just income for local oilseed farmers, MSPs for major edible oilseeds have been increased. Import duty for edible oils has also been raised by 20 percent to protect the interest of the domestic producers who are being hurt by cheap imports and to encourage production locally.
“A seed, when nurtured, grows into a crop. A farmer, when empowered, builds a nation.”
By empowering Indian farmers to reduce their dependence on imports and grabbing sustainable practices, India is not only focusing on fulfilling its own needs but also providing the way for a greener and stronger agriculture sector. This vision of self-sufficiency in edible oil is no longer a faraway dream; it will become a reality.
Edible Oils National Mission – Cabinet Approves Multicrore Mission
