NMOOP: National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm

India is a leading consumer and producer of edible oils globally. The country's diverse agricultural landscape supports the cultivation of nine different oilseeds, such as groundnut, rapeseed, castor, niger, safflower, sesame, sunflower, soybean, mustard, and linseed. The National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) was launched during the 12th Five Year Plan to enhance oil palm areas and boost edible oil production.

Objectives of NMOOP Mission

This mission was initiated in 12 potential states across India with the following goals:
Expand palm cultivation to 75,000 hectares and enhance edible oil production.
Promote oil palm cultivation in Northern-Eastern states.
Cater to the demand for new oil palm plantations from both native and imported sources.
Provide assistance to farmers through planting materials, maintenance costs, irrigation & bore well support, and harvesting tools.
Purchase Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) from farmers via processing industries.
Ensure profitable rates for FFBs even when international Crude Palm Oil (CPO) prices drop.
Support farmers through the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

Moreover, it focuses on the Mini Mission–II for Oil Seeds, aiming to:

Improve the Seed Replacement Ratio (SSR) with an emphasis on Varietal Replacement.
Increase oilseed irrigation from 26% to 36%.
Encourage intercropping oilseeds with cereals, pulses, and sugarcane.
Enhance the availability of quality planting materials for Oil Palm and Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs).

Implementing Body

National and State level committees handle the mission's activities.
The National Level Committee includes:
- An Executive Committee (EC), chaired by the Union Minister of Agriculture, to guide and monitor mission progress.
- A Standing Committee (SC) oversees activities and approves the Annual Action Plan (AAP) of states.
- A Mission Monitoring Committee (MMC) reviews physical and financial progress of the Mini Missions.

The State Level Committee determines priorities, examines AAPs, and evaluates Mini Mission progress. It is led by the Chairman of Agriculture Production Commissioner/Principal Secretary/Secretary (Agriculture) of the State.

Target of NMOOP Mission

NMOOP aims to achieve specific targets through Mini Missions (MM) I, II & III:

Under MM–I, increase oilseed production to 35.51 million tonnes from an average of 28.93 million tonnes.
MM–II aims to expand oil palm cultivation and elevate FFB production from 4927 kg/ha to 15,000 kg/ha.

MM–III targets strengthening seed collection of TBOs like olive, sal, mahua, and kokum from 9 lakh tonnes to 14 lakh tonnes, providing high-quality planting materials. For related guidelines and operational strategies in different environments, visit Requirements for Operating Commercial Establishments. Additionally, for information on edible oil import strategies, see Import Edible Oil India.

Funding Pattern

The mission's funds are distributed between the Central and State Governments in a 75:25 ratio, allocated to the State Governments' Department of Agriculture/Horticulture. The mission reserves 1% of the total fund for crises and sets aside 10% as a flexi-fund to meet specific objectives.

Gives states flexibility to address local demands and fulfill NMOOP objectives.
Enhances efficiency to produce desired results within the scheme's scope.

Flexi-funds are utilized for restoration activities in the oilseed sector during disasters.

Funding Pattern for Flexi-funds

Flexi-funds are released proportionately without separate utilization certificates.
No additional audit requirements; follows the CAG's audit framework.

The outcomes feed into the MIS, facilitating robust practices, transparency, and cross-learning among states for enhanced evaluation.

Purpose of the Mini Mission

Mini Mission–I (Oil Seeds)

Highlighting oil palm's importance, the mission targets palm cultivation in 12 Indian states with objectives like:
- Bringing 75,000 hectares under palm cultivation for increased edible oil production.
- Promoting palm cultivation in Northern-Eastern states.
- Meeting new oil palm plantation demands from local and imported sources.
- Assisting farmers with planting materials, maintenance costs, irrigation, and harvesting tools.
- Buying FFBs from farmers through processing industries.
- Providing profitable FFB rates as international CPO prices fluctuate.
Supporting farmers through MIS.

Pattern of Assistance for Mini Mission-I

Assistance for oilseed enhancement is encouraged across three categories:
NMOOP supports effective seed selection and processing with 100% assistance, including:
1. Producing breeder seeds
2. Acquiring breeder seeds/parental lines for hybrid seed production
3. Minikit distribution for Varietal Diversification
4. Seed Infrastructure Development
75% assistance covers:
1. Foundation seed production
2. Certified seed production and distribution
Maximum assistance of 75% is provided by NMOOP and 25% by the State Government for seed production methodologies.

Farmers receive technology education to stay updated with the latest advancements.

Mini Mission–II (Oil Palm)

Mini Mission–II aims to fulfill its vision of:
- Increasing the SSR with a strong focus on Varietal Replacement.
- Raising oilseeds' irrigated area from 26 to 36%.
- Encouraging oilseed intercropping with cereals, pulses, and sugarcane.

Enhancing the availability of quality planting materials for Oil Palm and TBOs is integral to its goals.

Pattern of Assistance for Mini Mission-II

NMOOP provides financial assistance for increased oil palm cultivation, including:
- 85% of the planting materials, equating to Rs.12,000 per hectare, for farmers.
- 50% coverage of new plantation maintenance costs for four years.
- Rs. 20,000 per hectare disbursed for oilseed intercropping during the gestation period.
- Rs 50,000 per electricity unit for irrigation and harvesting installation.

Mini Mission–III (Tree Borne Oilseeds – TBOs)

Mini Mission–III enhances TBO expansion through State Agriculture or Horticulture Departments, focusing on:
- Expanding plantation areas.
- Maintaining seedlings properly.
- Encouraging intercropping during gestation.
- Providing technical support and training with government institution support.

Pattern of Assistance for Mini Mission-III

Financial assistance for TBO components includes:
- 100% cost coverage for integrated nursery and plantation development on wasteland/degraded land.
- Intercropping TBOs incentives of Rs.1000 per hectare.
- 100% funding for TBO R&D through institutions like ICAR, ICFRE, CSIR, and IITs.
- Project cost assurance for processing equipment distribution with a 30% subsidy and 50% loan compliance.
- Up to Rs.50 lakh annually for TBO seed collection promotion and marketing facilitation.
Training assistance:
- Rs.24,000 per batch for training 30 farmers engaged in TBO plantation.
- Rs.36,000 per training for 20 officers to raise TBO awareness in AAPs.
- Outsourced technical personnel receive awards for TBO support and awareness contributions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about NMOOP.

The National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) is a scheme implemented by the Government of India during the 12th Five Year Plan to expand the area under oil palm cultivation and increase the production of edible oils in the country.

The main objectives of the NMOOP mission are to bring 75,000 hectares of land under oil palm cultivation, promote oil palm cultivation in all North-Eastern states, address the demand for new oil palm plantations, assist farmers with planting materials, maintenance costs, irrigation, and harvesting tools, procure Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs) from farmers, provide remunerative prices for FFBs, and support farmers through the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

The NMOOP comprises three Mini Missions: Mini Mission–I (Oil Seeds), Mini Mission–II (Oil Palm), and Mini Mission–III (Tree Borne Oilseeds–TBOs).

Under Mini Mission–I, the NMOOP aims to increase the production of oilseeds to 35.51 million tonnes from the current average production of 28.93 million tonnes.

Mini Mission–II focuses on increasing the Seed Replacement Ratio (SSR) with a focus on Varietal Replacement, raising the area of irrigation of Oilseeds from 26% to 36%, encouraging the intercropping of oilseeds with other crops, and increasing the availability of quality planting materials for Oil Palm and Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs).

Under Mini Mission–II, the NMOOP provides 85% of the cost of planting material (up to Rs. 12,000 per hectare), 50% of the maintenance cost of new plantations for four years, Rs. 20,000 per hectare for intercropping during the gestation period, and Rs. 50,000 per unit for the installation of irrigation and harvesting structures.

Mini Mission–III under the NMOOP focuses on expanding the plantation area of Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs), providing proper maintenance of seedlings, encouraging intercropping during the gestation period, and providing technical support and training through government institutions.

Under Mini Mission–III, the NMOOP provides 100% cost for the integrated development of nurseries and plantations on existing wastelands/degraded forest lands, Rs. 1000 per hectare as incentives for intercropping of TBOs, 100% cost for research and development on TBOs, project cost for pre-processing, processing, and oil extraction equipment with a 30% back-ended credit-linked subsidy, and financial assistance for training farmers and officers on TBOs.

The funding under the NMOOP is shared between the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. Additionally, 1% of the total fund is reserved for crisis periods, and 10% is set aside as a flexi-fund to meet local demands and improve efficiency within the overall objectives of the scheme.

The implementing bodies for the NMOOP include National Level Committees (Executive Committee, Standing Committee, and Mission Monitoring Committee) and State Level Committees formed by respective State Governments to decide priorities, examine Annual Action Plans, and evaluate the progress of the Mini Missions.