**Executive Summary:**
This document addresses agricultural imports, detailing measures to increase domestic production of pulses, spices, vegetables, fruits, and edible oils to achieve self-sufficiency. It outlines existing schemes like the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, and National Mission on Edible Oils. The document also covers export destinations for Indian agricultural products and import policies concerning countries with conflicting global interests.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Self-Reliance in Agriculture:** India aims to reduce imports of vegetable oils, pulses, fresh fruits, and spices.
* **Pulses Production Enhancement:**
* The National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNMPulses) operates in all 28 states and 2 Union Territories (Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh).
* Assistance is provided to farmers through state governments for technology demonstration, distribution of high-yielding varieties, and capacity building.
* Support is extended to ICAR, SAUs, and KVKs for technology transfer to farmers.
* **Horticulture Sector Growth:**
* The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) supports fruits, vegetables, and spices.
* Assistance includes planting material production, seed production, improved cultivars, rejuvenation of orchards, protected cultivation, water resource creation, IPM, INM, and organic farming.
* Focus on post-harvest management (PHM) and marketing for better price realization.
* **Spice Production Programs:** Besides MIDH, programs like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana (PMKSY), and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY) are implemented.
* The Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD) supports spice development.
* The Spices Board implements the SPICED scheme for export development.
* **Major Export Destinations:**
* Spices: China, USA, UAE, Bangladesh, Thailand
* Pulses: Bangladesh, UAE, China, USA, Sri Lanka
* Fresh Vegetables: Bangladesh, UAE, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka
* Fresh Fruits: Iraq, UAE, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Nepal
* **Edible Oil Production:**
* The National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO Oil Palm) launched in August 2021 aims to increase domestic availability by expanding Oil Palm area and increasing Crude Palm Oil production.
* NMEO Oil Palm aims to bring an additional 6.5 lakh ha under Oil Palm plantation with an outlay of Rs. 11,040 crore from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
* The National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), approved on October 3, 2024, aims to enhance the production of key primary oilseed crops.
* Primary oilseed production is projected to increase from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
* Increased Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on refined and crude palm, sunflower, and soybean oils.
* **Local Procurement of Vegetables and Fruits:**
* The Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) addresses distress sales of perishable commodities not covered under Minimum Support Price.
* Price Differential Payment (PDP) introduced under MIS from the 2024-25 season.
* Reimbursement of storage (up to 3 months) and transportation costs for Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP crops) under MIS from 2024-25 season.
* **Import Policy:** Agricultural import policy is aligned with foreign policy and national interests. Restrictions or bans may be imposed on imports from countries posing geopolitical or economic challenges.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Farmers:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from increased support for production, better prices through MIS and PDP, and protection from distress sales.
* *Action Required:* Engage with state government programs, adopt new technologies, and participate in capacity building initiatives.
* **State Governments:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing national schemes, providing assistance to farmers, and potentially bearing a portion of losses under MIS.
* *Action Required:* Effectively implement schemes like NFSNMPulses and MIDH, monitor market prices, and request MIS intervention when necessary.
* **Consumers:**
* *Impact:* Potential for stable prices and increased availability of locally produced agricultural commodities.
* *Action Required:* Support locally produced goods to contribute to the success of domestic agriculture.
* **Exporters:**
* *Impact:* Awareness of top export destinations to help focus marketing efforts.
* *Action Required:* Monitor trends in major export markets and comply with relevant regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
National Food Security and Nutrition Mission NFSNMPulses: A program implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DAFW) to increase pulse production across India.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture MIDH: A centrally sponsored scheme implemented for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector, covering fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR: An organization that receives support under the NFSNMPulses program for technology backstopping and transfer to farmers.
National Mission on Edible Oils NMEO Oil Palm NMEOOP: A centrally sponsored scheme launched to enhance edible oil availability by expanding Oil Palm area and increasing Crude Palm Oil production.
National Mission on Edible Oils Oilseeds NMEOOS: A mission approved to boost domestic oilseed production and strive toward self-sufficiency in edible oil production.
Market Intervention Scheme MIS: A scheme implemented for the procurement of perishable agricultural and horticultural commodities not covered under the Minimum Support Price regime.
Spices Board: An organisation implementing the SPICED scheme for spice sector development, supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
World Trade Organization WTO: International organisation, referenced in relation to trade policy regarding agricultural imports
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 363
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22ND JULY, 2025
AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS
363. DR. K SUDHAKAR:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ(cid:874)ष एव ं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण मं(cid:287)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has made any targets for ending agricultural imports of pulses,
spices , vegetables and fruits into the country, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of steps and measures being taken to make the country self sufficient in
production of pulses, spices, vegetables and fruits;
(c) the details of major export destination of spices, pulses, vegetables and fruits from India;
(d) the details of steps and measures are being taken to reduce the imports of edible
vegetable oil in to the country;
(e) the details of the steps and measures taken to increase the local procurement of
vegetables and fruits and ensuring that farmers adequately receive an assured amount for all
vegetables and fruits in the market; and
(f) the details of policy with respect to import of agricultural produce from countries that
stand against our country's interests globally, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ(cid:874)ष एवं (cid:873)कसान क(cid:227)याण रा(cid:207)य म(cid:287)ं ी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)
(a) & (b): India is self-reliant in most of the agri commodities. However, vegetable oils,
pulses, fresh fruits and spices are major agri commodities which are imported. To increase
the production of pulses across the country, the DA&FW is implementing National Food
Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)-Pulses programme in all 28 States and 2 UTs viz:
J&K and Ladakh. Under NFSNM-Pulses, assistance is given to farmers through state
governments on various interventions such as demonstration of crop production &
protection technologies, distribution & production of newly released high yielding/ stress
tolerant/ climate resilient varieties/ hybrids and capacity building of farmers etc. In addition,
the mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) & State
Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology back stopping
and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter
Specialists/Scientists.Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme is being implemented w.e.f. 2014-15, for holistic growth of the horticulture sector
covering fruits, vegetables, spices etc. Under MIDH, assistance is also provided for
activities such as production of planting material, vegetable seed production, coverage of
area with improved cultivars, rejuvenation of senile orchards, protected cultivation, creation
of water resources, adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Integrated Nutrient
Management (INM), organic farming, including in situ generation of organic inputs. These
measures are adopted to increase the production and improve the quality of fruits and
vegetables. Capacity building of farmers and technicians is also provided for adopting
improved technologies. The scheme also envisages creation of post harvest management
(PHM) and marketing for better price realization of produce.
In addition, the Government of India is also implementing several programmes to
promote spice production, including Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
(MIDH), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY),
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana (PMKSY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana
(PMFBY) and others. In addition to these national programs, the Directorate of Arecanut
and Spices Development (DASD) directly supports spice development through the
production of quality planting materials, technology dissemination via demonstrations, and
farmer training programs conducted through State Agricultural Universities and national
institutes. Further, Spices Board is implementing the central sector scheme, “Sustainability
in spice sector through Progressive Innovative and Collaborative interventions for Export
Development” (SPICED) with the budgetary support from Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
(c): The details of major export destination of spices, pulses, vegetables and fruits from
India are as under:-
Sr. No Commodity Top Export Destinations
1 Spices China, USA, UAE, Bangladesh, Thailand
2 Pulses Bangladesh, UAE, China, USA, Sri Lanka
3 Fresh Vegetable Bangladesh, UAE, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka
4 Fresh Fruits Iraq, UAE, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Nepal
(d): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO) -
Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) has been launched during August, 2021 with the aim to enhance the
edible oils availability in the country by harnessing Oil Palm area expansion, increasing
Crude Palm Oil production and to reduce the import burden on edible oil. The Mission will
bring additional area of 6.5 lakh ha under Oil Palm plantation with a total outlay of Rs.
11,040 crore in next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The Union Cabinet has approved the National Mission on Edible Oils — Oilseeds
(NMEO-OS) on 3rd October, 2024 to boost domestic oilseed production and to strive toward
self-sufficiency in edible oil production in the country. The objective of NMEO-Oilseeds is to
enhance the production of key primary oilseed crops such as Rapeseed-Mustard,
Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, Sesamum, Safflower, Niger, Castor and Linseed, as wellas increasing collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources like Cottonseed,
Rice Bran, Corn oil and Tree Borne Oils. The mission aims to increase primary oilseed
production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.
In order to support the oilseeds farmers of the country, the Government increased
the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on Refined Palm Oil, Refined Sunflower Oil, and Refined
Soybean Oil from 12.5% to 32.5% with effect from 14.09.2024. Additionally, the BCD on
Crude Palm Oil, Crude Sunflower Oil, and Crude Soybean Oil was revised to 10% with
effect from 30.05.2025. These adjustments on the part of the Government are expected to
bolster domestic oilseed production and farmers’ income.
(e): Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) is implemented for procurement of agricultural
and horticultural commodities, which are perishable in nature and are not covered under
the Minimum Support Price regime. The objective of intervention is to protect the growers
of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of a bumper crop during the
peak arrival period when the prices tend to fall below economic levels and the cost of
production. The condition is that there should be at least a 10 percent decrease in the
ruling market prices over the previous normal year. The scheme is implemented at the
request of a State/UT government, which is ready to bear 50 percent of the loss (25
percent in case of North-Eastern States), if any, incurred on its implementation.
Government has introduced a new component of Price Differential
Payment (PDP) under Market intervention scheme (MIS) from 2024-25 season for direct
payment of the price difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the selling
price to the farmers of perishable crops. States/UTs have an option to choose either to do
physical procurement of the crop or to make the differential payment between the MIP &
Sale Price to the farmers.
Further, from 2024-25 season, Government added another component under
Market Intervention Scheme for reimbursing the Storage (upto 3 months) and
Transportation cost of TOP crops (Tomato, Onion and Potato) to NAFED, NCCF & State
designated agencies for transporting from the producing state to consuming states in the
interest of the farmers.
(f): India’s trade policy regarding agricultural imports is aligned with its foreign policy and
national interests. Imports from countries that may pose geopolitical or economic
challenges are carefully evaluated. The Government has the authority to impose
restrictions, safeguard duties or bans on imports to protect domestic agriculture and
national interests, as per WTO norms and national laws. Such measures are taken on a
case-by-case basis to safeguard India’s sovereignty and economic security. The
Government remains committed to enhancing agricultural self-reliance, ensuring farmer
welfare, strengthening export potential, and safeguarding national interests through
appropriate policy measures.
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