NEWS – Prime Minister recently inaugurated the first Oil Palm Processing Mill under Mission Palm Oil in Arunachal Pradesh

HIGHLIGHTS

The National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was launched by the Government of India in August 2021 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme focusing on increasing oil palm cultivation and crude palm oil production, especially in the Northeast region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Mission Objectives:

• Increase oil palm cultivation area to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26 from 3.5 lakh hectares in 2019-20.
• Raise crude palm oil production from 0.27 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.
• Maintain consumer awareness to sustain a consumption level of 19.00 kg/person/annum until 2025-26.

Implementing Stakeholders:

• State Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture, Central Universities, ICAR-Institutions, CDDs, SAUs, KVKs, Central Agencies/Cooperatives, Oil palm processors/Associations, DD Kisan, AIR, DD, TV channels are the stakeholders involved in implementing NMEO-Oil palm.

Features of NMEO-OP:

• Assistance for planting material, intercropping inputs, establishment of seed gardens, nurseries, micro-irrigation, bore well/pumpset/water harvesting structures, vermicompost units, solar pumps, harvesting tools, custom hiring centers, farmer and officer training, and replanting of old oil palm gardens.

Oil Palm Production Overview:

• Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a high-yielding crop, producing palm oil and palm kernel oil used in culinary and industrial applications.
• Major oil palm-growing states are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala, accounting for 98% of total production.
• Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Mizoram also have significant areas under oil palm cultivation.