Concerned over limited growth of oilseed acreage in the country, experts have called for commercialising genetically modified (GM) oilseeds to increase the yield and reduce dependence on imports.

Speaking at Globeoil 2008, a global edible oil conference, here on Saturday, T Nandkumar, secretary, department of agriculture and cooperation, told corporate bodies to look for agricultural lands abroad as there was limited scope for expanding the arable land in the country. He asked farmers to adopt science and technology to increase the oilseed yield.

He added that the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), a government-appointed body, could possibly permit commercialisation of GM oilseeds, which are under field trials for several years.

Speaking on the occasion, Forward Markets Commission (FMC) Chairman B C Khatua said: “Sugarcane farmers must switch to oilseeds for higher realisation as two divergent crops can be grown in 18 months, the period taken for the sugarcane crop to mature. This will not only double the farmers’ income, but also help the edible oil market.”

Dorab Mistry, director, Godrej International, said the sooner the permission for commercialisation of GM seeds the better it will be for the Indian markets.

Mistry further said it is the duty of the government to protect the interests of the domestic industry. But any further subsidised imports and supply through the public distribution system (PDS) may result into lower domestic prices, taking farmers away from oilseeds in the ensuing rabi season. Edible oil prices must rise to protect farmers’ interests and prevent them from switching to other remunerative crops, he added.

Davish Jain, chairman, Central Organisation of Oil, Industry and Trade (COOIT), had recently urged the government to increase the domestic oilseed output to avoid any adverse impact of a global change on the domestic demand and supply.

The country consumes about 13 million tonnes of edible oil each year, of which 5.5 million tonnes are met through imports. The domestic output of 6.5 million tonnes of edible oil gets largely impacted with the rise and fall in global prices.

According to an estimate by the ministry of agriculture, the total area for oilseeds increased marginally by 1.55 lakh hectares to 179.10 lakh hectares during the current kharif season as against 177.55 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year. The acreage is estimated to result in 6.20 lakh tonnes of additional oilseed output at 177 lakh tonnes this year compared with 170.80 lakh tonnes last year.