Attaining Self-sufficiency in Edible Oils: Need for Strategic Action Plan

With 21% of world's area and 15% of world's production, India is the fourth largest oilseed producing country in the world. Oilseeds in India account for the second largest agricultural commodities after cereals sharing 13% of the country's gross cropped area, nearly 5% of gross national product and 10% of the value of all agricultural products. Oilseeds crops have added advantage because of their nutritional quality, varying industrial and pharmaceutical/medicinal uses. Although, India is a major producer of oilseeds, per capita annual oil consumption in India is only 10.7 kg which is quite low compared to 12.5 kg in China, 20.8 kg in Japan, 21.3 kg in Brazil and 48.0 kg in USA. Increasing population accompanied by rapid process of urbanization and changes in people's dietary habits has impacted on the increased pattern of consumption of oils in recent past. With the implementation of several thrust programs and provision of minimum support prices, in recent years there has been significant increase in the output as well as yield per hectare of oilseeds. However, import of vegetable oils on an average per annum was 8.278 million tons amounting to Rs.377.74 billion in last six years, besides import of oilseeds worth Rs.3.57 billion on an average per year in last three years. This article briefly examines the importance, area, production, productivity, and import in light of Government's initiatives and suggests strategic action plan to attain self-sufficiency in edible oils.