Assam poised to be self-sufficient in mustard oil production

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The current total production of mustard oil in Assam is able to meet only 20% of the state’s edible oil requirement and the rest is sourced from outside.

To make up this deficit in edible oil production in the state, the state government has embarked on a massive mustard area expansion programme over four years.

Notably, the total mustard and toria (rapeseed) production in Assam, from a cultivation area of 2.87 lakh hectares (ha), is 1.85 lakh metric tonnes (MT). This can meet only 20% of the total requirement for edible oil in the state, with the deficit sourced from outside, said Agriculture Department sources.

Now, with the state embarking on the expansion programme, the year-wise additional fallow area to be brought under mustard cultivation is: 2022-23—50,000 ha; 2023-24—1,50,000 ha; and 2024-25—2,00,000 ha. This will bring an additional total fallow area of 4,00,000 ha under cultivation of mustard.

The additional 4 lakh hectare area, clubbed with high-yielding varieties, scientific package of practices and technical support of Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (ICAR-DRMR), will be brought under mustard in the next four years. This will help to produce an additional nearly 6 lakh MT mustard oil, which can meet the remaining 80% of the state’s edible oil requirement, and help in achieving self-sufficiency in mustard oil production in the state.

It is imperative to mention here that the state has an estimated 10 lakh ha of rice fallow area, which is left unutilized by farmers after harvesting Kharif/Sali rice. It is also estimated that, out of this 10 lakh ha area, around 6 lakh ha area has either irrigation availability or residual moisture availability. The state government aims to bring this area under mustard cultivation.

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