Centre Unveils Strategy To Boost Oilseeds Yield

Aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in oilseeds production, the Centre has approved the proposal of free distribution of high yielding varieties of seeds to the farmers for the Kharif season 2021, in the form of mini-kits.

The special Kharif programme will bring an additional 6.37 lakh hectare area under oilseeds and is likely to produce 120.26 lakh quintals of oilseeds and edible oil amounting to 24.36 lakh tonnes, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The ministry has put emphasis on enhancing the productivity of oilseeds by increasing the availability of high yielding varieties of seeds for the farmers' use. Accordingly, the special Kharif plan was discussed in detail with state governments, and after this, both area and productivity enhancement has been formulated for soybean and groundnut with a focus on high yielding varieties of seeds to be provided free of cost under the National Food Security Mission (Oil Seeds and Oil Palm) Mission.

This would be done through distribution of soybean seeds for intercropping of 41 districts in the six states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Chhattisgarh costing Rs 76.03 crore and covering 1,47,500 ha.

Apart from this, soybean seeds would also be distributed in high potential districts in 73 districts of the eight states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat costing Rs 104 crore and 3,90,000 ha.

The mini kits would be distributed in 90 districts of nine states namely Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar costing Rs 40 crore. The area to be covered in these districts will be 1,006,636 ha and the number of mini-kits to be distributed are 8,16,435.