Indian Government Launches Plan for Edible Oils Self-Sufficiency

The Indian government has announced a national mission on edible oils and oil palm to boost domestic production and reduce the country’s dependence on imports, reports The Times of India. Announcing the US$1.48 billion plan, the country’s prime minister Narendra Modi said the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) would ensure that farmers could get support, from quality seeds to technology, to promote the cultivation of oil palm and oilseeds, the report added. 

Modi was quoted as saying that while the country has become self-sufficient in production of rice, wheat, and sugar, it remained import dependent to a large extent on edible oils.  Modi said oil palm farming could be promoted in the northeast and Andaman and Nicobar regions.  Smallholder farmers would benefit from oil palm cultivation with higher yields and better returns, said Modi.