Regarding need to provide all- round assistance for upgradation and modernization of Palm-Oil Processing Mills in Andhra Pradesh under National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)-Laid

Regarding need to provide all-round assistance for upgradation and modernization of Palm-Oil Processing Mills in Andhra Pradesh under National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)-Laid SHRIMATI DAGGUBATI PURANDESWARI (RAJAHMUNDRY): I wish to draw the urgent attention of the Union Government to the vital issue of modernizing Palm-oil processing mills in Andhra Pradesh. Our State holds the largest area under Palm oil cultivation in India, covering 2.49 lakh hectares and sustaining 1.97 lakh hardworking farmers, primarily across the East and West Godavari districts. Palm oil is a critical long-gestation crop promoted under the National Mission on Edible Oils ? Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to enhance domestic output and curb our massive (cid:110) import dependency. Since India spends over 70,000 crore annually on edible oil imports, maximizing domestic crude palm oil recovery is a strategic national priority. Oil Extraction Ratio (OER) directly dictates farmer profitability. Just a 1% decline in OER results in a loss of nearly 10 kg of oil per tonne of fresh fruit bunches. While the Government of Andhra Pradesh has proactively extended one-time financial support, numerous cooperative and state-owned mills continue to struggle with aging batch-processing machinery, causing avoidable oil recovery losses. I strongly urge the Union Government to allocate targeted financial and technical assistance under NMEO-OP to comprehensively upgrade and modernize these outdated mills in Andhra Pradesh. This technological intervention will drastically improve extraction efficiency, secure our farmers' livelihoods, and accelerate India's journey toward self-reliance in edible oils.