The perspective plan of the directorate of oilseeds research (DOR) has sought to raise oilseeds production from the present level of 22 million tonne to 26 million tonne by the year 2000 and up to 34 million tonne by 2020 with an annual increase of 2.5 per cent in production.

According a most conservative estimate the domestic supply-demand gap in edible oil stands at 1.8 million tonne per annum. To raise domestic edible oil production by 1.8 million tonne per annum, the country needs to produce an additional quantity of 5.4 million tonne of oilseeds per year. According to government sources, in 1997-98 oil year (Nov-Oct) the total oilseeds production is estimated to be 23.69 million tonne. Thetrade has, however, estimated it at 21.06 million tonne.

The director-general of ICAR, R S Paroda has stated that the barriers for achieving higher yields in oilseeds namely genetic, biotic and abiotic stresses need to be overcome by use of novel hi-tech research tools and approaches. Identifying and developing additional niches for oilseeds by altering the existing cropping system for higher efficiency and profitability has great potential. Searching alternate sources of vegetable oil as by-products in a myriad plant species occurring in wild and systematic standardisation of their production, collection, processing and utilisation is another grey area for augmenting oilseeds production.

Paroda is hopeful that in the abundant rise in production of oilseeds by 2020, there may be a possibility of substitution of vegetable oils for petroleum products as a finite non-renewable source of energy. He said that the perspective plan prepared by the directorate of oilseeds research (DOR) encompasses both the shortand long term strategies concerning the basic and applied research to improve the yield and quality of its mandated crops.

P S Reddy, project director, DOR stated that the institution has emerged as one of the leading institute in oilseeds research and has taken up the onus of playing a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in vegetable oils as a component of the technology mission on oilseeds.

The perspective plan of DOR has noted that the vision for future Indian oilseeds scenario is to be contemplated in global terms in regard to production, consumption and export as the country holds a premier position in the world oilseed area (19%) and production (10%). The annual oilseed crops grown in 25.3 million hectre area are of paramount importance to Indian economy as these crops are next only to the foodgrains raised over an area of 130 million hectre.

Despite the envious position in the national agricultural economy accounting for 5 per cent of the value of gross national product and themultiplicity of crops and crop growing situations, the country's indigenous output of oilseeds has been lagging far behind the requirements, the document noted.

It further noted that the production and productivity of bulk of oilseeds as well as the availability of vegetable oils in the country are largely influenced by nine annual oilseed crops raised on marginal and sub-marginal lands in rainy and post-rainy seasons. Hitherto, the productivity and the total production of these oilseed crops have been stagnant for various reasons including lack of agro-techniques matching with the wide range of agro-ecological situations and also critical gaps in the technology transfer. By and large, all oilseed crops grown under rainfed conditions characterised by nutrient starvation and varying degree of moisture stress could not make a dent in ameliorating the problem of vegetable shortage.

The plan, apart from developing crop specific strategies for all the nine traditional oilseeds production, has also proposed tofocus attention on some non-traditional oil bearing species as suggested by AICRPO.