R.S. Paroda, former Director-General of ICAR, has called for revival of focus on oilseeds in order to reduce dependency on imports and encourage domestic production.

“We must have a clear national policy of bridging the yield gaps and increased oilseeds production to reduce vegetable oil imports as was achieved during the Technology Mission on Oilseeds in the early 1990s,” he said.

Delivering the M.V. Rao Lecture on emerging concerns of Indian agriculture here, he had said that there had always been a huge gap between the domestic demand and production.

Duty changes

Referring to the changes in duties made now and then in the Exim Policy, he said it was like fire fighting.

“You can not depend on this forever.

“You need to have a long term policy,” he said.

He said the demand for vegetable oils would only grow as incomes grow. The per capita consumption would grow up to 16.43 kg a year by 2020 from about 14 kg now.

It would go up to 17.52 kg by 2030 and 19.16 by 2050.

The demand for edible oils from industry too would grow.

support price

He said support price would play an important role in increasing the oilseed area.

“The support price is evidently in clear favour of rice and wheat compared to oilseeds mainly on account of food security considerations.

Similar consideration is warranted for oilseeds as well,” he felt.

Paroda said low productivity and uncertain production of oilseeds was mainly due to their cultivation under rainfed conditions.

It was also constrained by several biotec stresses such insect pests and disease that were being further aggravated by changing climatic conditions.

>kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

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