Atmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan

Context

The Government has intensified implementation of the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) to enhance domestic oilseed production and reduce import dependency.

National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS):

Background & Rationale:

India imports ~9 million tonnes of palm oil annually, worth approx. ?40,000 crore, comprising around 56% of total edible oil imports.
The heavy import burden threatens food security, fiscal prudence, and self-reliance in agriculture.

Mission Objectives:

Expand oil palm cultivation area from 3.5 lakh ha (2019-20) to 10 lakh ha by 2025-26, with 3.22 lakh ha in general states and 3.28 lakh ha in NE states.
Increase Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production from 0.27 lakh tonnes (2019-20) to 2 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.
Maintain per capita consumption of edible oils at 19 kg/person/annum till 2025-26.

Key Strategic Interventions:

Seedling availability: Development of seed gardens and nurseries for oil palm.
Productivity push: Adoption of drip irrigation, FFB productivity enhancement, and intercropping during the 4-year gestation period.
Area substitution: Divert low-yielding cereal cultivation areas to oil palm cultivation.
Mission-mode implementation with multi-stakeholder engagement: State Agriculture Departments, ICAR, SAUs, KVKs, DD Kisan, AIR, and oil palm processors.