Parliament Question: Production and cultivation of oilseeds

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3213 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/03/2026 PRODUCTION AND CULTIVATION OF OILSEEDS 3213. SHRI A. D. SINGH: Will the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare be pleased to state: (a) the details of oilseeds production during the last five years, crop-wise, year-wise; (b) the total area covered under oilseeds cultivation during the same period and whether the area has remained static or shown any increase or decline; (c) the reasons for stagnation, if any, in area or productivity, including dependence on rain fed - agriculture, price volatility and import pressures; and (d) the efforts made by Government to increase oilseeds production and yield, including MSP support, National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), promotion of high yielding varieties, irrigation coverage and technological interventions? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR) (a) & (b): Details of oilseeds production during last 5 years, crop wise, year wise is as below. Total area covered has increased in the 5 year period. Area in Lakh Ha Production in Lakh Tonnes Crops 2020- 2022- 2023- 2021-22 2023-24 2024-25 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2024-25 21 23 24 Groundnut 60.15 57.05 49.61 47.07 57.62 102.44 101.35 102.97 101.8 119.42 Soybean 129.18 121.47 130.84 132.55 129.52 126.1 129.87 149.85 130.62 152.68 Sesamum 17.23 16.27 15.23 15.31 15.76 8.17 7.89 8.02 8.47 8.93 Sunflower 2.26 2.71 3.64 1.51 1.94 2.28 2.5 3.63 1.73 2.36 Nigerseed 1.34 0.97 0.88 0.83 1.01 0.42 0.33 0.29 0.27 0.4 Rapeseed & 67 79.91 88.52 91.83 86.57 102.1 119.63 126.43 132.59 126.67 Mustard Safflower 0.56 0.79 1.09 0.65 0.64 0.36 0.61 0.9 0.5 0.43 Castorseed 8.87 8.31 10.19 10.41 9.65 16.47 16.19 19.8 19.59 17.86 Linseed 1.75 1.97 2.39 1.75 1.69 1.11 1.26 1.67 1.13 1.12 Total Oil 288.34 289.45 302.39 301.92 304.40 359.46 379.63 413.55 396.69 429.89 Seeds(c): As seen in the table, the area under oilseeds increased from 288.34 lakh hectares in 2020- 21 to 304.40 lakh hectares in 2024-25 and production increased from 359.46 lakh tonnes to 429.89 lakh tonnes. Productivity has been rising steadily from 1247 kg/ha in 2020-21 to 1412 kg/ha in 2024-25 in oilseed. (d): The National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-OS) was approved on 3rd October, 2024 to boost domestic oilseed production and to strive towards self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in edible oils. The National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) being implemented since 2021, aims to enhance the availability of edible oils in the country by expanding oil palm area, increasing Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production and reducing the import dependence on edible oils. So far, 13.06 lakh hectares have been covered under free seed distribution in the Value Chain Clusters during 2025–26, exceeding the annual target of 10.00 lakh hectares. In addition, 60 Seed Hubs, 50 temperature-controlled seed storage units and 348 oil extraction units have been sanctioned during 2025–26. Further, during 2025–26, demonstrations covering 5.38 lakh hectares under Block Demonstrations, 0.22 lakh hectares under Frontline Demonstrations, and 0.43 lakh hectares under Cluster Frontline Demonstrations have been conducted to promote awareness among farmers regarding the latest high-yielding varieties and advanced technologies in oilseed cultivation. Since the launch of NMEO-OP, a total of 2.69 lakh hectares has been brought under oil palm cultivation, contributing to a cumulative area of 6.36 lakh hectares (as on 16.03.2026). Support also provided for drip irrigation facility under NMEO-OP. Minimum Support Price (MSP) for oilseeds is declared every year at least 1.5 times the cost of production to ensure remunerative returns to farmers. In addition, procurement under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) also covers oilseeds and helps farmers get better prices and income support. Accordingly, a total of 28.96 LMT of oilseeds (Groundnut: 21.05 LMT, Mustard: 0.24 LMT, Soybean: 7.83 LMT, and Sunflower seed: 0.08 LMT) have been procured in eight States, namely Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, during 2025–26 (as on 12.03.2026) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS). ******