Tractor convoys trundled thousands of oil palm seedlings to new homes on farms across southeastern India this month, as the world's top importer of edible oil rolls out an ambitious $1.5-billion plan to boost output.
Record prices of palm, and new government promises of payouts even if Indian prices slump, are driving the effort, which aims to lift domestic output sharply within a decade from a tiny level now.
Elsewhere, though, regular watering is just one of many obstacles to achieving a target of a 10-fold output expansion within a decade, ranging from a shortage of seedlings to a four-year growing term before palm trees produce fruit. Still, planting all 2.8 million hectares with palm will be a major task, as the thirsty plants need regular, profuse supplies of water, a scarce commodity in India, where agriculture relies on annual monsoon rains.
That assurance should hasten oil palm plantings, said B.V. Mehta, executive director of trade body Solvent Extractors' Association of India, as price volatility was previously a major deterrent for growers.Even with such assistance, few small, cash-starved farmers will be able to wait years for income to come in, Godrej's Niyogi said.
To reach its target of 1 million hectares under oil palm by 2025/26, India must add 130,000 hectares every year, calling for millions of seedlings.
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