Edible oils and oil seeds play a crucial role in agricultural economy¹. They are derived from a variety of oilseeds, fruits, nuts, and seed kernels³. Here's an upscaled product description:
**Agricultural Edible Oils and Oil Seeds:**
1. **Primary Sources:** Nine oilseeds are the primary source of vegetable oils in the country, which are largely grown under rainfed conditions over an area of about 26 million hectares¹. Among these, soybean (34%), groundnut (27%), and rapeseed & mustard (27%) contribute to more than 88% of total oilseeds production and >80% of vegetable oil¹.
2. **Secondary Sources:** In addition to nine oilseeds, 03 million tonnes of vegetable oil is being harnessed from secondary sources like cottonseed, rice bran, coconut, Tree Borne Oilseeds (TBOs), and Oil Palm¹. Oil palm, which is categorized as secondary sources of oils, should be included as a primary source as it gives the highest per hectare oil yield (4-5t/ha)¹.
3. **Quality and Sustainability:** Despite being the fifth-largest oilseed crop-producing country in the world, India is also one of the largest importers of vegetable oils today¹. The demand-supply gap in the edible oils has necessitated huge imports accounting for 60 percent of the country's requirement¹. The National Food Security Mission- Oilseeds (NFSM-OS) is being implemented by the Government of India to augment the availability of edible oils and reduce the import burden⁴.
4. **Usage:** There is a spurt in the vegetable oil consumption in recent years in respect of both edible as well as industrial usages¹. The enhanced per capita consumption (18 kg oil per annum) is driven by an increase in population and enhanced per capita income¹.
Please note that not all oil-bearing seeds and nuts contain edible oil. Some contain poisons or unpleasant flavors and are only used for paints
Description provided by Market Basic Catalog.
