PRIME MINISTER (PM) PUSHES FOR OIL PALM CULTIVATION IN NORTH-EAST

PRIME MINISTER (PM) PUSHES FOR OIL PALM CULTIVATION  IN NORTH-EAST 

• PM appealed to the North-East States to take up oil palm cultivation and also recommended  State governments to set up oil palm missions to promote the cultivation of the oilseed.  
• North-East region has about 2.18 lakh hectares (ha) of land potential for oil palm plantations but only 30,000 ha are covered. 
• The hot and humid climate of North-East is conducive to the oil crop. 
• India imports nearly 68% of its annual edible oil requirements of about 22 million tonnes.  Of this, nearly 60% is palm oil. 
• Palm oil consumption has increased by about 230% over the last two decades and India is responsible for about 17% of global palm oil consumption. 
• Constraints in oil palm cultivation: long gestation period, smallholdings of farmers, high seed cost, erratic monsoon leading to a shortage of water, low productivity, variation in import duty on edible oils, etc. 
• Government efforts so far: 
• National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm aims to bring 125,000 hectares of area under oil palm cultivation through area expansion. 
• Technology Mission on Oilseeds & Pulses.