Government expands oilseed and oil palm cultivation under two national missions.
Focus remains on reducing edible oil imports and boosting farmers’ income.
Highlights
- Oilseed production increased to 43.06 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 39.67 million tonnes in 2023-24.
- The National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) aims to raise production to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
- Farmers received free high-yielding seeds across 13.52 lakh hectares, exceeding the annual target.
- India imported 160.72 lakh tonnes of edible oils in 2024-25, with palm oil accounting for 46.77% of total imports.
- Oil palm cultivation has expanded to 6.40 lakh hectares, with 20.10 lakh tonnes of crude palm oil produced since 2021.
- ₹18.90 crore has been disbursed to 9,244 oil palm farmers under the Viability Gap Payment scheme.
India has recorded steady growth in domestic oilseed production as the Centre intensifies efforts to reduce dependence on edible oil imports through the National Mission on Edible Oils. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, oilseed production increased from 39.67 million tonnes in 2023-24 to 43.06 million tonnes in 2025-26 (Third Advance Estimate).
The government launched the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) in October 2024 with the objective of making India self-reliant in edible oils. The mission targets increasing primary oilseed production to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31, compared with 39 million tonnes in 2022-23.
The programme follows a cluster-based approach, with more than 600 Value Chain Clusters managed by Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives and other agencies. Farmers receive free high-quality seeds of improved varieties, training on modern agricultural practices and support for post-harvest infrastructure such as oil mills.
During 2025-26, 13.52 lakh hectares were covered under free seed distribution, surpassing the annual target of 10 lakh hectares. The government has also sanctioned 60 Seed Hubs and 50 specialised seed storage units to strengthen the supply of certified breeder seeds.
Despite higher domestic production, India continues to rely heavily on imports. During 2024-25, the country imported 160.72 lakh tonnes of edible oils, of which 75.17 lakh tonnes was palm oil, accounting for nearly 47% of total edible oil imports.
To boost domestic palm oil production, the government is implementing the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) across 15 states. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, 2.73 lakh hectares were brought under oil palm cultivation, taking the total area to 6.40 lakh hectares. During the same period, farmers harvested 114.66 lakh tonnes of Fresh Fruit Bunches, producing 20.10 lakh tonnes of crude palm oil.
The government has also supported growers through a Viability Gap Payment (VGP) scheme, under which ₹18.90 crore has been released to 9,244 farmers across several states. The information was shared in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur
