Will India’s palm oil production triple in 6 years?
Government incentives since 2021 have boosted planting, with Godrej Agrovet expecting its production to double by the same period. India’s palm oil production is likely to triple in six years as the area under oil palm plantations increases and as plantations become mature for harvesting, a senior industry official said on Friday.
How has the Indian Oil palm industry expanded area coverage?
The Indian oil palm industry has expanded area coverage under oil palm (OP) cultivation slowly but steadily in the past 34 years by focussing on yield improvement of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of oil palm, technology improvement and sustainability. OP area grew from 8,585 hectares (ha.) in 1991-92 to four lakh ha. (approximately) till March 2024.
How to boost oil palm cultivation in India?
To boost oil palm cultivation, Government of India had implemented a Special Programme on Oil Palm Area Expansion (OPAE) under RKVY with an objective to bring 60,000 ha area under Oil Palm cultivation during the year 2011-12. It was continued till March, 2014.
How much palm oil will India produce by 2030-31?
Godrej Agrovet expects its palm oil production to double to 250,000 tons by 2030-31, Niyogi said. Two years ago, there was a shortage of sprouts, which India imports to produce seedlings, but now enough sprouts are available to accelerate oil palm planting, he said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
How many hectares are under oil palm cultivation in India?
The area under oil palm cultivation increased to 375,000 hectares (926,600 acres) by last year, and an additional 80,000 to 100,000 hectares is likely to be added this year, Niyogi told Reuters on the sidelines of the Globoil India conference. "Government policies are helping farmers expand their planting areas.
Does India still import oil palm seedlings?
As India increases its domestic production of crude palm oil, it still imports the seeds for oil palms. Hence, investing in internal capabilities to develop domestic varieties of seedlings is not simply a matter of self-reliance but is essential for the sustained growth of crude palm oil production.