New Delhi, Aug 19 (TIWN) With special focus on Northeast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval to the renewed mission on oil palm.

The proposed scheme will subsume the current National Food Security Mission-Oil Palm programme.  Addressing mediapersons after the cabinet meet, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, "Currently, there is heavy dependence on imports for edible oils and therefore, it is important to make efforts for increasing the domestic production of the same."  To a question as to why the government wants to destroy the biodiversity at both Northeastern states and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tomar said that increasing area and productivity of oil palm play an important part in being self-dependent in oil. 

"No new land will be brought under oil palm cultivation. It will be done on land that is already under cultivation," Tomar said, allaying fears about biodiversity loss.  To another question as to why the government is promoting oil palm over indigenous varieties of oil seeds such as sarso, til, sunflower and groundnut, Tomar said, "One hectare of oil palm plantation yield is many times more than any of these oil seeds on the same area, and that too much faster. Hence to meet the gap in demand and supply, it is imperative to turn to oil palm."