1. National Emphasis on Oil Palm: Charting A New Path

- Operation start of India's first integrated oil palm processing unit in Arunachal Pradesh by 3F Oil Palm, one of India's biggest oil palm development companies.

- The inauguration was conducted virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9th during his visit to Itanagar.

- The state-of-the-art oil palm factory is part of Mission Palm Oil under NMEO-OP, featuring facilities such as a palm waste-based power plant and a zero-discharge effluent plant among others.

- The government intends to use the Mission Palm Oil to attain self-sufficiency in edible oils and boost farmer income.

2. The Rise in Demand for Edible Oils: Looking to the Future

- Rising demand for edible oils and growing significance of palm oil to food security in the nation.

- Government's ambitious plan to invest 1,100 crores in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by the year 2030, aiming to create 1,700 jobs.

- Identification of 1,30,000 hectares of land suitable for oil palm cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh, accounting for 33% of the government-designated fit for cultivation area in the Northeast region alone.

3. NMEO-OP: Aiming High for Self-Sufficiency

- Launch of the National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) in August 2021.

- The mission's goal to increase oil palm cultivation and boost crude palm oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.

- Successful establishment of 111 nurseries and 12 seed gardens, demonstrating the potential for area expansion under the mission.

- Generous benefits and assistance offered to farmers, such as hedge fund against global price volatility, special assistance for planting material and management, tools for harvesting, and establishment of custom hiring centres.

4. Palm Oil & Global Supply Chains: A Prolific Resource

   - Global production of 73 Million tonnes in 2020, marking palm oil as the most extensively used vegetable oil.

   - India stands as the topmost importer of palm oil, serving as 40% of its vegetable oil consumption.

   - India's reliance on Indonesia for meeting half of its annual requirement of 8.3 MT of palm oil.

5. The Prominence & Versatility of Palm Oil

- Palm oil, an edible oil derived from the mesocarp of the fruit of oil palms, is used in diverse products from food to hygiene and cleaning products.

- The use of crude palm oil as 'green diesel' in biofuel production.

- Increased efforts encouraged among Indian farmers to expand palm oil production due to its importance for India's cooking requirements and potential for diversifying procurement.