Turning surplus into success: How rejuvenated oil palm seedlings can accelerate India’s edible oil mission
India’s rising edible oil import bill has intensified focus on expanding domestic oil palm cultivation under National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm, while scientific rejuvenation of overgrown surplus oil palm seedlings through pruning, irrigation and nutrient management offers a cost-effective solution to reduce wastage and support plantation expansion.
India’s edible oil import bill continues to exert significant pressure on foreign exchange reserves, making rapid expansion of domestic oil palm cultivation a national priority under the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
Normally, oil palm seedlings remain in nurseries for 12-14 months before field planting, but agricultural expansion does not always follow projections. The result leads to an unexpected accumulation of nursery surplus stock sometimes, and a significant portion of this planting material becomes more than three to four years old, reaching heights of 12–14 feet, far exceeding the recommended planting stage & farmers hesitate to accept such quality seedlings for planting.
Scientific clipping and pruning of foliage to reduce transpiration stress, apply technology and intensive agronomic care, including irrigation, nutrient management, and plant health monitoring. Scientific rejuvenation offers an innovative solution capable of transforming a potential loss into a strategic advantage for companies, farmers and the nation.
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Source : The Hindu Businessline
