Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA), an apex body of the vegetable oil industry:
We expect the overall budgetary allocation for the National Mission on Oilseeds be enhanced from Rs. 21,000 crores to Rs. 30,000 crores. This upward revision is essential to address structural constraints in domestic oilseed production and to meet the objective of achieving edible oil self-sufficiency of approximately 45 percent by 2030–32. The enhanced allocation may be strategically deployed across the priority areas: high-yielding & climate-resilient seeds, technology upgradation and advancement in refining capabilities, modern irrigation systems, expansion into “rice fallow lands,” processing and post-harvest infrastructure, and price assurance and market linkages.
We also expect the budgetary outlay for the NMEO-OP be extended from its 2025-26 deadline to 2030-31. This three-year extension would be helpful to mitigate delays in the projects caused by sapling shortages and infrastructural challenges, ensuring the longer-term success of the mission and the targets set under the scheme.
We also expect the restriction on Inverted Duty refunds specifically to the Edible Oil industry vide Notification No. 09/2022-Central Tax (Rate) dated 13.07.2022 to be withdrawn with retrospective effect. The burden of ITC accumulation on all Edible Oil manufacturers will result in several players going out of business. With an increase in the GST rate on Coal from 5% to 18% in GST 2.0, the accumulation for the Edible Oil sector is expected to increase substantially.
Dr Kalyan Goswami, Director General, Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI), An Apex Agrochemical Policy Platform :
“We expect reducing the import duty on pesticides from 10 per cent to 5 per cent to ensure that farmers receive the full benefit of newer, better technology. While fertilisers are rightfully taxed at a concessional GST rate of 5 per cent, pesticides continue to attract an 18 per cent GST rate, significantly raising the cost of cultivation for farmers, reducing affordability of vital crop protection solutions, and a risk of lower adoption, ultimately compromising productivity and food security. We believe that the decision should be made in the context of India’s overall agricultural strategy. New pesticides are uplifting farmers’ income and a number of farmers have doubled their income with the help of such newer pesticides. We should ensure that the highest-quality agri-inputs are made available to farmers at the best prices.
