Business Business: The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the National Edible Oil Mission- Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds). The primary objective of this mission is to increase oilseeds production and achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils. The mission will be implemented over a period of seven years from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a financial outlay of ₹10,103 crore. It aims to increase domestic edible oil production to about 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31, meeting about 72 per cent of the country’s estimated domestic demand. The mission will focus on increasing the production of major oilseeds including rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame and cottonseed. It will also enhance collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources such as cottonseed, rice bran, corn oil and tree-derived oils. It aims to increase oilseed production from 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to about 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
To ensure timely availability of high-quality seeds, a five-year seed plan will be implemented through the ‘Saathi’ portal. This will facilitate states to establish advance collaboration with cooperatives, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and government or private seed producing agencies. The mission aims to increase the area under oilseed cultivation by 4 million hectares, focusing on fallow lands previously used for rice and potato cultivation. Additionally, inter-cropping will be promoted to encourage crop diversification.
The mission will establish over 600 value chain clusters in 347 districts, covering over 1 million hectares of agricultural land. These clusters will be managed by FPOs, cooperatives and public or private entities. Farmers in these clusters will receive high quality seeds, training on good agricultural practices (GAP) and advisory services on weather and pest management.
Achieving self-sufficiency in edible oils through this mission will reduce dependence on imports, increase farmers’ income and save foreign exchange. Additionally, the mission is expected to provide environmental benefits by promoting efficient use of wastelands with improved soil health and reduced water consumption.
