Self-reliant palm oil cultivation offers big scope: Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said the government wants to make India self-reliant in the field of palm oil, noting currently about 3 lakh hectares of land is under its cultivation while studies have shown that about 28 lakh hectares is suitable for it.

Inaugurating the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm Business Summit in Hyderabad, he said, there will be no shortage of resources for the successful implementation of the mission.

Appreciating the efforts made by the Telangana government to increase palm oil production, he said that he sees the state as an emerging leader in oil palm production. 

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Kailash Choudhary said "at present, we have to import edible oil. Today's business summit will prove to be important to find a solution to this import". 

Expressing his confidence in the mission, he said that with the help of scientists' research, farmers' hard work and the government's support, this mission will achieve its target and will make a significant contribution in making India self-reliant. 

In order to boost the edible oils' production, remunerative prices and assured procurement of oilseed crops is being done by the government, he added.