Cabinet Meeting: Government Approves Rs 10,103 Crore National Mission On Edible Oils–Oilseeds

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds with a total financial outlay of Rs 10,103 crore to boost domestic oilseed production and achieve self-reliance in edible oils.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced during a cabinet briefing that the mission will be implemented over a seven-year period, from 2024-25 to 2030-31.

The NMEO-Oilseeds will focus on enhancing the production of key primary oilseed crops such as rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, and sesamum, as well as increasing collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources like cottonseed, rice bran, and tree-borne oils.

According to the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, the mission aims to increase primary oilseed production from 39 million metric tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million metric tonnes by 2030-31.

"Together with NMEO-OP (Oil Palm), the Mission targets to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million metric tonnes by 2030–31, meeting around 72% of our projected domestic requirement," Vaishnaw said.

The government has launched a comprehensive mission aimed at significantly boosting domestic oilseed production to achieve self-reliance in edible oils. This initiative focusses on adopting high-yielding seed varieties with high oil content, expanding cultivation into rice fallow areas, and promoting intercropping techniques.

To support these efforts, cutting-edge global technologies like genome editing will be utilised for the development of high-quality seeds.

A key component of the mission is the introduction of an online five-year rolling seed plan through the ‘Seed Authentication, Traceability, and Holistic Inventory (SATHI)’ Portal. This will enable states to establish advance agreements with various seed-producing agencies, including cooperatives, farmer producer organisations, and both government and private seed corporations. The initiative plans to set up 65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units in the public sector to enhance the seed production infrastructure.

Additionally, the mission aims to create over 600 value chain clusters across 347 unique districts, covering more than one million hectares annually. These clusters will be managed by value chain partners, including FPOs and cooperatives, providing farmers with access to high-quality seeds, training on good agricultural practices, and advisory services on weather and pest management.

To expand oilseed cultivation, the mission targets an additional 40 lakh hectares by utilising rice and potato fallow lands, encouraging intercropping, and promoting crop diversification. Furthermore, support will be extended to FPOs, cooperatives, and industry stakeholders to establish or upgrade post-harvest units, thereby enhancing recovery from sources like cottonseed, rice bran, corn oil, and tree-borne oils.

An information, education, and communication campaign will also be launched to raise awareness of recommended dietary guidelines for edible oils.