The Mega Oil Palm Plantation Drive, 2024, was an ambitious initiative organized between 15th July 2024 and 30th September 2024, aiming to boost Oil Palm cultivation in India. Key highlights of the program include:
- Distribution of Planting Materials: Around 25 lakh planting materials were distributed among 15,755 farmers, covering over 17,000 hectares of land in areas identified as having suitable agroclimatic conditions.
- Sustainability Measures:
- Oil Palm cultivation is promoted only in regions deemed agroclimatically suitable, ensuring environmental balance.
- Research by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (ICAR-IIOPR) indicates that Oil Palm cultivation does not adversely affect underground water availability and requires less water compared to crops such as Banana, Sugarcane, and Rice.
- To further conserve water, the government subsidizes drip irrigation systems, ensuring efficient water use.
- Soil fertility is maintained due to the high biomass generated by oil palms, such as leaves and empty fruit bunches, which replenish the soil.
- Policy Backing – National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP):
Launched in August 2021, this mission seeks to:- Expand oil palm cultivation to new areas.
- Support farmers with planting materials and assured buyback agreements.
- Protect farmers from global price fluctuations through Viability Gap Payment (VGP) mechanisms.
- Elevate India’s Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.
The Oil Palm Mission exemplifies a holistic approach to supporting farmers, ensuring sustainability, and reducing dependence on imported edible oils.
