Grow oil palm, grow with oil palm

Edible oil is one of the vital items in the Indian food basket. Palm oil constitutes 37 per cent of the edible oil demand in the country and 97 per cent of palm oil demand is met through imports. India spent ₹77,000 crore towards edible oil imports in FY20

On August 18, the Cabinet approved the ₹11,040-crore National Mission on Edible oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to promote palm cultivation extensively and incentivize palm oil production. Post that, a lot of hue and cry has been raised by some sections on the environmental and health issues of palm oil, which I would like to address here.

Huge potential

Agri scientists and economists say that there is a huge potential to grow oil palm sustainably through farmers without touching any forest cover. In the North-East, as per the India State of Forest Cover report by Forest Survey of India, there was a decrease by 549 sq km and 765 sq km in forest cover during 2009-11 and 2017-19 respectively. This is mainly due to shortening of shifting cultivation cycle and biotic pressure. Shifting cultivation has traditionally been linked to socio-cultural life of the tribal community.

In 2007, the Tripura Government considered that Jhum (Shifting) cultivation cannot be eradicated until and unless Jhumias are offered alternative livelihood. Finally, rehabilitation of the tribal families was made there through establishment of Rubber plantation with the help of Jhumias successfully and it provided a steady source of income for them. Oil palm cultivation in India will improve socio economic condition of farmers and local people under the new scheme of NMEO-OP.

Partial shade bearer crops like cocoa, black pepper, ginger, turmeric and few flower plants are being grown as inter-crop in plantation during juvenile and mature stage, as established by Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research. Oil palm is no more a monoculture in India and the crop will give assured returns during gestation period and thereafter to the growers.

Water consumption

Water requirement for palm plantation in one hectare is less than that of rice and sugarcane. Oil palm has been grown under micro-irrigation successfully in India, with the concept of crop per drop, for the first time in the world.

Based on a study under the factory zone of Godrej Agrovet Ltd. in West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, it is found that “The Net Green House Gas removal by sinks in palm plantations over a period of 20 years is estimated to be 10.35 lakh tons CO2 equivalent. Plantation also adds a lot of nutrients into the soil, once we plough back palm biomass (like pruned leaf, empty fruit bunch fiber and palm oil mill effluents.)

More affordable

Palm oil is more affordable compared to other edible oils. This is primarily due to higher yield. It is also healthier as it contains more saturated fats than canola oil, corn oil, linseed oil, soybean oil, safflower and sunflower oil and can withstand deep frying at high temperature and is resistant to oxidation compared to high poly unsaturated vegetable oils.

Several global and Indian studies have shown that palm oil poses no risk. It is rich in Vitamin E and A – which are powerful antioxidants and can protect the body against deadly radicals and is also rich in beta carotene, which keeps the surface of cornea moist and helps in good vision. Tocotrienol (a very special form of Vitamin E) is present in palm oil and helps in reducing the risk of lung, liver, breast and prostate cancer. It has an adequate amount of CoQ10 (a co-enzyme) and helps to tighten the skin.

However, as such no oil is complete. We need to shift our choices time to time by using different combination of edible oils in a healthy diet. By definition, “Oil that has been refined has been altered by using chemicals because beneficial components are lost in traditional refining process”.

With concerns about food sufficiency and food inflation in India and the availability of large arable land, the best option is to usher in the yellow revolution and “Grow Oil Palm and Grow with Oil Palm’ with a guiding philosophy of no harm to nature.

(The writer is former CEO- Oil Palm Plantation, Godrej Agrovet Ltd.