National Edible Oil Mission
Oil palm is a new crop in India with the potential to produce the highest yield of vegetable oil per hectare. It produces two different types of oil. Palm oil is extracted from the fleshy mesocarp of the fruit, which contains about 45-55% oil. With quality planting materials, irrigation, and proper management, oil palms can yield 20-25 metric tons of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) per hectare after reaching 8-9 years of age. The yield of palm oil is five times higher than that of traditional oilseeds.
Objective of the National Food Oil Mission:
Under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm, state governments have partnered with oil palm processing companies to launch the ‘Mega Oil Palm Plantation Campaign.’ This mission aims to increase oil palm production in the country. States are actively collaborating with farmers to expand oil palm cultivation to record levels. During this mega plantation campaign, the goal was to cultivate oil palms on over 75 hectares in eight districts.
Oil Palm Producing States:
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala are the major oil palm-producing states, accounting for 98% of the total production. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Mizoram also have significant areas suitable for oil palm cultivation. Recently, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland have also launched large-scale oil palm plantation programs.
Goal of the National Food Oil Mission: Approximately 9 metric tons of palm oil, worth 40,000 crore rupees, are imported annually, which constitutes about 56% of the total edible oil imports. Currently, only 3.70 lakh hectares out of the total potential area of 28 lakh hectares are under oil palm cultivation. The goal is to increase the area under oil palm cultivation from 3.5 lakh hectares in 2019-20 to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26. This includes 3.22 lakh hectares for general states and 3.28 lakh hectares for northeastern states, with a target of producing 66.00 lakh tons of FFBs. The production of crude palm oil is to be increased from 0.27 lakh tons in 2019-20 to 11.20 lakh tons by 2025-26.
