To lower India’s rising dependence on imported edible oils, the government has, for quite some time, been working on a multi-pronged strategy, the cornerstone of which is announcing a higher Minimum Support Price (MSP) than that for cereals, and improving the procurement of oilseeds whenever prices crash.

       Of late, there has also been a renewed focus on expanding the area on oil palm and boosting the production of rice bran oils towards this end. The immediate trigger might have been a surge in domestic edible oil prices, but steps to boost local oilseed production have been ...