India’s palm oil promise, a 2030 blueprint to reduce import dependence

However, for a country that recorded a season-high of 1.081 million tonnes of palm oil imports in the same month, urgent interventions are required to optimise policy and coordinate efforts to address persistent on-ground challenges to realise the 2030 vision of raising domestic production of palm oil to 3 million metric tonnes. For a crop with a four-year gestation period before farmers can expect consistent fruit and income for two to three decades, NMEO-OP offers vital subsidies for oil palm cultivation. However, this extended support is often undermined by uneven implementation across different regions. While a Rs 1.69 lakh subsidy has been allocated under the policy for four years, it’s essential to regularly assess on-ground realities to ensure the policy’s goals are met without delays or obstacles. Given the water-intensive nature of oil palm, subsidies for drip irrigation are particularly crucial to encourage farmers. Currently, the NMEO-OP provides Rs 22,000 per hectare ...