Govt plans to double edible oil production by 2022 to cut import dependence

Sustained increase in consumption against stagnating production widened India's import dependence to 67% for 2016-17

The central government has prepared a five-year schedule to double India's edible oil production and reduce import dependence, through expansion in sowing area and yield.

At a recent rabi conference, the ministry of agriculture revealed the plan to take annual production to 13.69 million tonnes (mt) by 2022, as against the current 7.31 mt. 

Several such roadmaps were drawn in the past, too, but the momentum did not continue. Sustained increase in consumption against stagnating production widened India's import dependence to 67 per cent for 2016-17, with an estimated demand of 24.5 mt. 

"Despite notable performance in domestic production of