Mustard Oil

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a split verdict on the validity of the Centre's 2022 decisions on the environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for seed production and testing. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Sanjay Karol heard pleas challenging the October 18, 2022, decision of the GEAC -- the country's regulator for genetically modified organisms -- recommending environment release and the subsequent decision on October 25, approving the environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11. After hearing the pleas, the bench gave a divergent opinion. The bench directed the issue to be placed before the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud for adjudication by the appropriate bench. However, both the judges were unanimous in directing the Centre to formulate a national policy on Genetically Modified (GM) crops. The bench directed that the environment ministry will undertake a consultation process with all the stakeholders and experts, preferably in four months

"The experts peg the output at around 1-1.2 mt lower than the estimates," said Anil Chatar, joint secretary of the Mustard Oil Producers Association of India

The country's oilmeals exports rose 16 per cent to 12.20 lakh tonne in the third quarter of the current fiscal compared to the year-ago period, industry body SEA said on Thursday. Around 10.53 lakh tonne of oilmeals was exported during the October-December quarter of 2022-23. According to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), the country exported 6.24 lakh tonne of soybean meal, 4.79 lakh tonne of rapeseed meal, 1.14 lakh tonne of castor seed meal and 2,642 lakh tonne of groundnut meal in third quarter of the current fiscal. In December alone, total oilmeals exports were at 5.32 lakh tonne, up by 23 per cent from 4.33 lakh tonne in the year-ago period, it said. SEA said the country's export of soyameal rose due to price competitiveness amid shortage of Argentine export supplies in recent months. The major consumer of Indian soybean meal is South East Asia, where India has a logistic advantage and also can supply in small lots, it added. The industry body also mention

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to make mustard oil available at Rs 110 per litre under the public distribution system through fair price shops, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday. He said that the beneficiaries would now get mustard oil cheaper by about Rs 37 per litre as compared to earlier rates. Before June 2023, the Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries were getting mustard oil at Rs 142 per litre and that those Above Poverty Line (APL) at Rs 147 per litre under the Antodaya Anna Yojana. The decision has been taken to provide relief to all the sections of the society, said the chief minister in a statement issued here. He said that the state government was taking welfare oriented decisions to benefit the people and was committed to ensure food security to people under the PDS. The state has 19,74,790 ration card holders who are being provided food grains at subsidised rates through 5,197 fair price shops, the chief minister said.

New Delhi has given environmental clearance to a genetically modified mustard crop, which promises to boost yields by as much as 28%

Even the opinion of farmers' groups seems divided after AIKS comes out in support

Wheat is usually sown in around 31 million hectares, mostly in the northern belt

Suspension of their futures does not bring down price volatility either, finds study conducted on behalf of NCDEX Investor Protection Fund

As per govt data, average retail prices of packaged edible oils have ease slightly, except for groundnut oil, across country since beginning of this month and are ruling between Rs 150 and 190 per kg.

However, achieving self-sufficiency in edible oil will remain a distant dream unless drastic policy measures are taken

Food regulator FSSAI has asked states to effectively enforce the decision to ban blending of mustard oil with any other cooking oil from June 8.

"To produce 5 lakh tonnes of mustard oil, we will require 12-15 lakh tonnes of extra mustard seeds," Mallick said

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) said it has received the first order from Indo-Tibetan Border Police for supplying 1,200 quintals of kacchi ghani mustard oil worth Rs 1.73 crore

Apart from a spurt in mustard oil prices, consumers are also being sold contaminated products by traders out to make a quick buck

Mustard oil consists of 2 essential fatty acids - in ideal ratio, a huge benefit for the heart