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Centre intensifies push to expand oil palm cultivation
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Tuesday, 11 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Government is intensifying efforts to expand oil palm cultivation and strengthen domestic edible oil production through the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on edible oil imports.
Launched in 2021-22 with a financial outlay of Rs. 11,040 crore, including a Government of India share of Rs. 8,844 crore, the mission had set a target of bringing 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation during 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The NMEO-OP is being implemented across 15 States—Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Tripura.
Under the mission, farmers receive support for planting material, plantation maintenance, intercropping, drip irrigation, farm machinery and replanting. The programme also assists in establishing seed gardens and nurseries, developing oil palm processing infrastructure and ensuring price assurance through the Viability Gap Payment (VGP) mechanism.
Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, an area of 2.73 lakh hectares was brought under oil palm cultivation. During the same period, the Government of India released Rs. 1,447.21 crore to implementing States under various components of the mission.
While NMEO-OP was initially approved for 2021-22 to 2025-26, Annual Action Plans for 2026-27 have subsequently been approved for implementing States with an allocation of Rs. 1,143.9 crore.
Complementing the oil palm initiative, the Government launched the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) on October 3, 2024, for seven years from 2024-25 to 2030-31. The mission aims to increase domestic oilseed production and move the country towards greater self-sufficiency in edible oils.
Under NMEO-OS, the Government is promoting improved indigenous oilseed varieties and hybrids by providing 100 per cent support for the purchase of breeder seeds and facilitating the distribution of certified seeds through Value Chain Clusters. As part of the initiative, 60 Seed Hubs and 50 specialised seed storage units have been sanctioned to support the production of breeder seeds of recently released varieties.
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