Import dependence

India must attain self-sufficiency in edible oils

Buoyed by the good performance of agriculture in the past few years and the India Meteorological Department’s projection of timely, normal, and well-distributed rainfall in the ensuing monsoon season, Krishi Bhavan has set ambitious crop output targets for the next agricultural year. These goals envisage the production of most crops to scale new highs, though it might result in a general downturn in agricultural prices to the detriment of growers. However, pulses and oilseeds are the two exceptions. Pulses, which were only marginally short of requirement last year, might witness self-sufficiency for the first time, resulting in price moderation. But