India to Double Edible Oil Production by 2022

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.  This was revealed at a recent rabi conference by the ministry of agriculture.  The plan is to take annual production to 13.69 million MT by 2022, as against the current 7.31 million MT. Sustained increase in consumption against stagnating production widened India’s import dependence to 67 per cent for 2016-17 oil year, with an estimated demand of 24.5 million MT.
“Despite notable performance in domestic production of the nine annual crops (compound annual growth rate of 3.89 per cent), it could not match the galloping rate of per capita demand (around six per cent) due to enhanced per capita consumption (19 kg edible oil per annum), driven by increase in population and enhanced per capita income. The production of nine annual oilseed crops (primary source) has been targeted at 45.64 million MT, from which availability of vegetable oils would be about 13.69 million MT by 2022,” said a senior official from the ministry. 
Total vegetable oil requirement by 2022 is estimated at 33.2 million MT assuming per capita consumption of about 22 kg per person a year, from 19 kg during 2015-16.  Of increased consumption, the government aims to meet half from domestic source.