Lok Sabha Question No. 212 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: National Mission on Edible Oil - Oilseeds
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 212

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## NATIONAL MISSION ON EDIBLE OIL - OILSEEDS

## *212. SMT. BHARTI PARDHI SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has approved National Mission on Edible Oil-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) to boost  domestic oilseeds  production  and  achieve  self  reliance  in edible oils; (b) if  so,  the  details  of  the  said  Mission  including  its objectives/goals and timeline for  its  implementation  along with the funds  released to the State of Madhya Pradesh under the Mission; (c) the details of import of edible oil at present and the extent to which the import is likely to be reduced by 2030-31 with the approval of NMEO-Oil Seeds; the  manner  in  which  the  Mission  address  the  challenges  faced  by  Small  and Marginal  Farmers  (SMF)  along  with  the  specific  programs  or  incentives  in  place  to

(d) ensure that SMF benefit from the Mission in the State of Maharashtra;

(e) the total budget allocated to the NMEO-Oilseeds for the period 2024-25 to 203031,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is  distributed  among  different  States  including Maharashtra;

(f) whether NITI Aayog has recommended several measures to make the country self  reliant  in  edible  oil  production,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken thereon; and

(g) the details of other steps taken/proposed to promote indigenous oilseed varieties and reduce dependency on imported hybrid seed and make the country self-reliant in oilseed production?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

(a) to (g): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (g) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 212 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2024 REGARDING NATIONAL MISSION ON EDIBLE OIL - OILSEEDS:

(a) & (b): Yes Sir, the Union Cabinet has approved the National Mission on Edible Oils -Oilseeds (NMEO-OS),  an  initiative aimed  at boosting domestic oilseed production for implementation all over the country over a seven-year period, from 202425 to 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs. ₹10,103.38 crore (with a central share of ₹7,481.67 crore) to strive toward self-sufficiency in edible oil production.

The objective of NMEO-Oilseeds is to enhance 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,  Corn  oil  and  Tree  Borne  Oils.  The  mission  aims  to  increase primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. The total allocation and release of funds for the state of Madhya Pradesh for the  year  2024-25  under  National  Food  Security  Mission-  Oilseeds  (NFSM-  OS)  now subsumed under NMEO- OS is given below:

(Amount Rs. in Lakh)

|   Central Share |   State Share |   Total Allocation |   Release (Central Share as on 29.11.2024) |
|-----------------|---------------|--------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|            6250 |       4166.67 |            10416.7 |                                    4687.75 |

- (c):      A  total  of  165.00  lakh  tonnes  of  edible  oils  were  imported  during  the  2022-23 (November,  2022  to  October,  2023)  accounting  for  approximately  57%  of  the  total edible oil consumption in the country. Similarly, 142.53 lakh tonnes of edible oils were imported  during  2023-24  (from  November,  2023  to  September,  2024),  amounting  to approximately 54% of the total domestic requirement. Together with National Mission on Edible Oils- Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), the Mission targets to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31, thereby, reducing import dependency.  (Source:  Directorate  General  of  Commercial  Intelligence  &  Statistics (Ministry of Commerce) as reported by Directorate of Vegetable Oils under Department of Food and Public Distribution).
- (d) & (e): The Mission specifically focuses on small and marginal farmers with the objective  of  improving  their  oilseed  crop  yields  through  initiatives  such  as  Frontline Demonstrations  (FLDs),  Cluster  Frontline  Demonstrations  (CFLDs)  and  Block-Level

Demonstrations  (BLDs),  thereby  exposing  farmers  to  good  agricultural  practices  and access to essential production inputs.

Furthermore,  NMEO-OS  adopts  cluster  approach  for  accelerated  adoption  of improved  varieties  and  technologies  by  providing  free  seeds  to  the  farmers  in  the clusters. It has provision for setting up of Value Chain Clusters to be managed by Value Chain  Partners  (FPOs,  Cooperatives  and  other  agencies)  for  providing  high-quality seeds,  training  in  good  agricultural  practices,  advisory  services  on  weather  and  pest management  and  procurement  support  to  the  participating  farmers  in  the  cluster including small and marginal farmers.

In  addition,  the  mission  supports  FPOs  and  cooperatives  in  establishing  or upgrading post-harvest infrastructures. This  enhances  the recovery of valuable products  from  secondary  sources  such  as  cottonseed,  rice  bran,  corn  oil  and  TreeBorne Oils (TBOs), contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and better income generation for farmers including small & marginal farmers.

The  funds  are  being  distributed  among  different  states  including  Maharashtra based on their oilseed production potential, the area under oilseed cultivation and the existing infrastructure for oilseed production & processing, etc.

(f): NITI Aayog through its recently published report titled "Pathways and Strategies for Accelerating Growth in Edible Oils Towards the Goal of Atmanirbharta", which was released  on  28 th   August  2024,    has  recommended  several  measures  to  make  the country  self-reliant  in  edible  oil  production,  including  focus  on  area  retention  & diversification through crop specific cluster, rice fallow expansion, regional development,  wasteland utilization  for  oil  palm cultivation,  seed  quality  &  traceability, adoption of advanced technologies, value addition in processing, marketing and market linkages,  Public-Private  Partnerships  (PPP),  introducing  flexible  tariffs  aligned  with global  trends  and  protect  domestic  production  with  higher  import  duties,  promote secondary oilseeds, consumer awareness & industry incentives and research & datadriven  approaches.  The  government  has  already  included  these  recommendations under the NMEO-Oilseeds. (Source: NITI Aayog)

(g): Through the mission, production of improved indigenous varieties and hybrids of oilseeds are being promoted by way of 100% support for breeder seeds and also for certified seeds used for distribution in the Value Chain Clusters. Additionally, under the mission, there is a provision for establishing 65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units  in  the  public  sector,  significantly  enhancing  the  production  and  storage  of indigenous seeds across the country. The mission entails advance tie-ups with seedproducing agencies e.g. cooperatives, FPOs  and  government  or private seed corporations through a five-year online seed rolling plan facilitated on the central seed portal (SATHI).

Additionally, the following steps have also been taken to make the country selfreliant in oilseed production:

- (i) The  Government  has  approved  the  continuation  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) during  15 th   Finance  Commission  upto, 2025-26. The scheme enables procurement of oilseeds at MSP by the Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) & National Cooperative Consumers' Federation  of  India  Ltd.  (NCCF)  etc.  through  the  State  Level  Agencies  under Price Support Scheme component.
- (ii) The  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)  offers  comprehensive  crop insurance  coverage,  safeguarding  farmers  against  risks  of  crop  damage  from pre-sowing to post-harvest. This includes food crops, oilseeds and commercial horticultural crops, which  are  specifically  notified  by  the  concerned  State Government. PMFBY aims to provide financial protection to farmers in the event of adverse conditions affecting crop yields.
- (iii) To  discourage  the  import  of  cheap  edible  oils,  the  government  raised  the effective  customs  duty  on  crude  edible  oils  like  palm,  sunflower  and  soybean from  5.5%  to  27.5%.  Similarly,  the  duty  on  refined  edible  oils  was  increased significantly,  from  13.75%  to  35.75%.  These  measures  aim  to  create  a  level playing field for domestic producers while reducing dependency on imports.
- (iv) The  Minimum  Support  Price  (MSP)  for  major  oilseed  crops  such  as  soybean, mustard,  groundnut  and  other  oilseeds  has  been  significantly  increased  to ensure  better  returns  for  farmers.  This  hike  aims  to  provide  enhanced  price security  and  encourage  the  production  of  oilseeds,  supporting  the  agricultural sector and improving farmers' income.
- (v) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has reported that 281 new seed varieties have been launched of oilseed crops in last five years, out of which 252 varieties are climate resilient.

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