Why In News?

• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the oil palm mega plantation drive under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) Dhola near Dr Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola-Sadiya bridge) in Sadiya subdivision of Tinsukia district.
• The mission has been started in collaboration with the Patanjali Foods Ltd.

India’s status of Edible Oil production:

=> India needs 25 million tonnes of edible oils to meet its requirement at current consumption level.

=> Out of the total requirement, 10.50 million tonnes are produced domestically from

1. Primary (Soybean, Rapeseed & Mustard, Groundnut, Sunflower, Safflower & Niger)

2. Secondary sources (Oil palm, Coconut, Rice Bran, Cotton seeds & Tree Borne Oilseeds)

• Thus 60% of India’s edible Oil requirement is met through import.
• Among the agricultural commodities imported by India Vegetable oils highest imports in terms of value in the last five years.

National Mission on Edible Oils and Oil Palm:

=> In a bid to reduce the country's dependence on edible oil imports,in 2021 PM Modi announced a National Mission on Edible Oils and Oil Palm(NMEO-OP).

=> It will have investment of over Rs 11,000 crore for building the ecosystem to boost the domestic production.

=> With palm oil having 55 per cent share in total edible oil imports, the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) would focus on palm production.

=> The programme will ensure that farmers get all facilities, from quality seeds to technology, to promote cultivation of palm and other oil seeds.

=> The PM said we can replicate the success of pulses in Palm production also.

=> India is the largest pulses producer, consumer and importer of pulses in the world.