India Plans to Increase Sunflower and Mustard Production

The Indian government is considering the possibility of increasing oilseed production in the country to reduce national dependence on imported vegetable oils. This is reported by the publication “Financial Express”. The authorities are banking on increasing the production of mustard, sunflower and other oilseeds by expanding the area sown and increasing yields.

Mustard production in India will benefit from increased acreage in non-traditional regions (such as Karnataka, Maharashtra) and paddy fields in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha.

Mustard, which accounts for about 39% of India’s domestic edible oil production, is now grown mainly in rainfed fields (land in the irrigated agriculture zone where crops are grown without artificial irrigation), affecting yields.

Officials said the area under mustard cultivation has increased by 24% to 9.1 million hectares this season, compared to 7.3 million hectares mentioned in the previous MJ.

In the next few years, the country plans to expand the area under cultivation to over 12.2 million hectares.

The government is also discussing ideas to revive commercial sunflower production, which is currently grown only in small areas.

Officials said the lack of a favourable price is the main reason for the decline in sunflower acreage in recent years.

“Reduced participation of private companies in seed production has led to further reduction in plantations,” the Indian agriculture ministry said.

Recall that according to estimates by experts at the National Association of Vegetable Oil Producers (Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, SEA), imports of edible oil into India are expected to increase by 28% in monetary terms in the 2021/2022 marketing year – up to 1.5 billion rupees. In 2020/2021, this figure increased by 44 %.

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