Agriculture Industry

UPL welcomes PM Modi’s call to reduce the imports of edible oil: Ashish Dobhal, Regional Director, UPL Ltd

25 February 2022, Mumbai: India currently imports 60-65 per cent of its edible oil requirement. UPL believe the country has clear potential to become Atmanirbhar in edible oil production.

“We welcome Hon’ble Prime Minister’s clarion call to reduce the imports of edible oil. With initiatives like the ProNutiva programme, UPL is geared up for the mission” mentioned Mr. Ashish Dobhal, Regional Director, UPL Limited.

ProNutiva programme that mitigates both abiotic & biotic risk to the crop is applicable across crops and geographies, has shown exceptional results in groundnut production in Gujarat over the last 3 years. The integrated crop health solutions under the programme increased groundnut yields with higher levels of edible oil extraction.

The program increases farmers’ income and also unlocks the potential of the groundnut crop in fulfilling India’s edible oil needs, contributing to food as well as nutritional security. Currently there are 75 thousand plus ProNutiva farmers cultivating over 2.5 lakh acres of groundnut farmland.

The programme has led to an average of 30-35% increase in yield, with a significant delta in crop oil content, leading to a much higher extraction per acre. Gujarat is one of the highest groundnut producers in the country and can take care of 10% of India’s total oil import with appropriate steps and holistic agriculture practices like ProNutiva.