Nearly 4 lakh hectare area of rice fallow to be used for oilseeds cultivation: Piyush Goyal

25 Feb 2022 Evaluate

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal has said nearly 4 lakh hectare area of rice fallow will be used for oilseeds cultivation in 100 districts of 10 states as part of the government's efforts to boost domestic output and reduce imports of edible oils. Moreover, he said 230 high-yielding districts of oilseeds have been identified. Nearly 20 lakh hectare area will also be brought under intercropping of oilseeds in next 5 years.

According to trade data, India imported edible oils worth Rs 1.17 lakh crore during 2020-21 marketing year ended October 2021. The Minister said with emphasis on millets, India is going back to its roots like Yoga. He added that bringing back the glory of millets will make the country Aatmanirbhar in 3 areas-- Food, Nutrition & Economy. Suggesting four 'mantras' to make India a leading exporter of millets he said, states can duplicate the success of Karnataka's fruits model for crop diversification with a focus on millets. Moreover, there is a need to collaborate with agri startups to provide the latest technology to ensure quality and aid in bio-fortification of millets.

He said campaigns should be launched to create awareness regarding health and nutrition benefits of millets. There is also a need for international outreach to promote Brand India Millets. Stressing that India produces all nine common millets, he pointed out that it is the second-largest producer and second-largest exporter of millets in the world. He added that the government has undertaken reforms which have led to the highest procurement of foodgrains from farmers at minimum support price (MSP).

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