Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan
Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan boosts India’s oilseed production, reduces imports, supports farmers with quality seeds, modern farming & better prices
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Introduction to Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan
The Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan is a significant government mission under the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign, dedicated to boosting India’s domestic production of oilseed crops. The initiative is aligned with the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS), launched for the period of 2024-25 to 2030-31, aiming to enhance self-sufficiency in edible oil production and reduce the country's dependence on edible oil imports. This scheme involves a financial outlay of over Rs 10,000 crore to increase production, improve crop quality, and support farmers with modern agricultural technologies and infrastructure.
Why India Needs Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan
India is one of the largest consumers of edible oils globally, yet it imports about 57% of its edible oil requirements. This heavy reliance on imports is a concern because it causes a drain on foreign exchange reserves and makes the country vulnerable to global price fluctuations. The Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan aims to tackle these challenges by promoting domestic oilseed cultivation, improving seed quality, and enhancing overall productivity and processing efficiency. The mission focuses on key oilseed crops such as rapeseed, mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, and sesame, along with secondary sources like cottonseed, rice bran, and tree-borne oils.
Objectives of the Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan
Increase Domestic Oilseed Production
The mission targets increasing oilseed production from nearly 39 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. Through innovative and scientific farming methods, better seed varieties, and adoption of high oil-content crops, this increase is expected to significantly reduce the import dependency of edible oils in India.
Expand Cultivation Area
The Abhiyan promotes the expansion of oilseed cultivation by utilizing untapped lands, especially targeting rice and potato fallows. Crop diversification and intercropping strategies are encouraged to optimize the use of available arable land and increase production without compromising food crops' cultivation.
Enhance Seed Quality and Infrastructure
The government aims to improve seed quality by developing and distributing high-yielding, climate-resilient seed varieties. Under this mission, 65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units will be set up to ensure timely availability of superior seeds through an online portal called SATHI (Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory Portal). It also includes the establishment of 600 value chain clusters managed by Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and private agencies, which will provide access to inputs, training, and market linkages.
Improve Processing and Extraction Efficiency
Besides focusing on primary oilseed crops, the mission also seeks to enhance the efficiency of oil extraction from secondary sources like cottonseed, rice bran, and tree-borne oils. Investment will be made in upgrading and establishing new post-harvest processing units to reduce wastage and increase oil recovery.
How Does Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan Benefit Farmers?
Subsidies and Financial Assistance
Farmers will receive direct financial support and subsidies on seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, reducing the cost of cultivation. Enhanced Minimum Support Prices (MSP) are planned to protect farmers' incomes.
Training and Advisory Services
Through extensive training programs organized in the value chain clusters, farmers will be educated about best agricultural practices, pest and weather management, and sustainable farming techniques that improve yield and resilience.
Market Linkages and Supply Chain Support
The scheme works on improving supply chain mechanisms, linking farmers directly with markets. This linkage minimizes exploitation by middlemen and ensures farmers get a fair price for their produce.
Crop Insurance and Risk Mitigation
To shield farmers from the risks of crop failure due to natural calamities or pests, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) ensures insurance coverage for oilseed crops, providing financial security to growers
Major Components of the Mission
High-Yielding Seed Varieties: Development and distribution of 432 high yielding varieties/hybrids of oilseed crops over the last 11 years, continuing further with advanced biotechnology and gene editing.
Value Chain Clusters: More than 600 clusters across 347 districts promote better production, post-harvest handling, quality seed distribution, training, and market access.
SATHI Portal: This digital portal enables states and seed-producing agencies to coordinate for timely seed availability and quality assurance.
Expanding Cultivation on Fallow Lands: Promotion of oilseed crops on rice and potato fallow lands, with support for intercropping and crop diversification to increase area under oilseed.
Post-Harvest Infrastructure: Setting up or upgrading processing units to maximize oil extraction and improve quality for the domestic market.
Awareness Campaign: IEC campaigns educate farmers and consumers on recommended dietary intake and supply practices.
Challenges and How the Scheme Addresses Them
India’s oilseed production faces challenges like low productivity due to rainfed cultivation, insufficient access to quality seeds, and fragmented supply chains. Many farmers still rely on traditional methods resulting in yield gaps. Under the Aatmanirbhar Oilseeds Abhiyan:
Advanced climate-resilient seed varieties reduce dependency on erratic rainfall.
Improved irrigation and post-harvest infrastructure mitigate losses due to poor storage and processing.
Investment in clusters and FPOs strengthens farmers' bargaining power and reduces intermediaries’ costs.
Digitization with SATHI portal ensures quality and timely availability of seeds.
Impact and Expected Outcomes
The successful implementation of this mission will help India achieve around 72% of its edible oil demand through domestic production by 2030-31. This would drastically cut down the need for imports, conserve foreign exchange, and provide higher incomes to farmers by increasing productivity and market access. The scheme also contributes to environmental sustainability by promoting efficient water use, soil health improvement, and productive use of fallow lands.
In addition, the increased focus on research and technology adoption promises higher quality oilseed varieties tailored to diverse agro-climatic zones, ensuring farmers receive farming solutions fit for local conditions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It is a government initiative aimed at boosting domestic oilseed production like mustard, soybean, sunflower, and groundnut to reduce India’s edible oil imports and increase farmers’ income.
The scheme was launched to make India self-reliant in edible oils by increasing oilseed cultivation, improving seed quality, providing better infrastructure, and supporting farmers financially.