The area under oilseed cultivation in the country increased from 301.92 lakh hectares in 2023–24 to 304.40 lakh hectares in 2024–25, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply, Minister Thakur said the figures are as per the final estimates of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW). The production of oilseeds also increased from 396.69 lakh tonnes in 2023–24 to 429.89 lakh tonnes in 2024–25, he added.
The National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) was approved on October 3, 2024, to boost domestic oilseed production and move towards self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils. The government is implementing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and import tariffs to ensure fair prices for farmers, protect them from market fluctuations, reduce dependence on imports, and encourage higher domestic production of edible oils.
Procurement under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme also covers oilseeds and helps farmers secure better prices and income support.
(with inputs from PIB)
