Plantation Crops

Need for large scale oil palm cultivation in India

Why large scale production of oil palm is necessary in India ?
Short supply of edible oil produced in our country. India is having an area of about 19 to 20 million ha under various annual oil seed crops viz., Ground nut, Rape/mustard, Sesame, Sunflower, Soybean etc.,
Oil requirement
Per capita edible oil consumption as per ICMR recommendation :10 kg/head/year
Indian average oil consumption ( at present ) : 6 kg /head/year
World average : 12 kg/head/year
Oil palm is an answer to the growing demand of edible oil : Yield of oil from oil palm = 4 to 6 tonnes per ha compared to less than one tones per ha from other cultivated oil seed crops (while other oil seed crops yield < 599 kg oil per ha ( i.e., < 0.60 tones per ha)). If five lakh ha of area suitable area for oil palm cultivation is developed under oil palm (Agroclimatic conditions) the demand and supply gap ( Production and consumption gap) can be successfully met. .
Economic importance of oil palm :
a. Oil palm is the richest source of edible oil yielding 4 to 6 tones per ha per year thereby yielding high economic returns.
b. High employment potential,.
c. Raw material for industries :
i. Vanaspati industry,.
ii. Soap industry.
iii. Production of oleochemicals products such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, gylcerols and other derivatives. (These are used for the manufacture of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergents and industrial products,).
d. By-product utilization:
 i. Fiber from fronds and empty fruit bunches are used to make medium density fiber boards.
 ii. Furnitures : From trunk,
 iii. Mushroom cultivation : Empty bunch can be utilized as a medium for mushroom growth.
Environmental Protection: Environmental stability: It is important for maintaining environmental stability.
e. Suitable for sustainable agriculture, It is believed that, India will be an important producer of palm oil in the immediate future. Andra Pradesh and Karnataka have greater potential for oil palm cultivation in the major irrigated areas.