Govt to promote sunflower production in country

New Delhi, April 1: A detailed action will be prepared for promotion of sunflower production and increase in its area on the lines of pulses, oilseeds, and National Oil Palm Mission, it was decided at a meeting held at the Agriculture Ministry on Thursday.

Amidst the uncertainties in the global market owing to the Ukraine-Russia war, the ministry held detailed discussions with the state governments and field experts at the meeting here. Ukraine is the largest producer of sunflower. Sunflower is one of the important oilseed crops, which is grown mainly in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.

The scope of sunflower area in other states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Chhattisgarh among others were also discussed in the meeting.

"India is focused on promoting the area and production of sunflower in the country. After studying the suggestions of the states and experts, a detailed action plan will be prepared in this regard," Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar said, adding, sunflower will also be promoted in a planned manner, just the way pulses-oilseeds and National Oil Palm Mission have been started in the country.

Tomar announced that a sub-committee consisting of all the major state governments and stakeholders would work out the roadmap. Further urging the states to increase the production of sunflower, he also assured the support to the state governments for seeds, micro-irrigation assistance to industries etc.

Tomar also interacted with various important stakeholders of the oilseeds sector like the National Dairy Development Board, National Seeds Association of India, Federation of Seed Industry of India, and private sector entrepreneurs etc.

Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Chaudhary and Shobha Karandlaje; and Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal were also present in the meeting.