Indore: Project to increase mustard production launched

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): To meet the target of increasing mustard production by 200 lakh tonnes by 2025 and making India self-reliant in oilseed production, the “Mustard Model Farm Project” has been launched by the International Organisation Solidaridad and The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), Solidaridad.

According to an official release, the project is playing a key role in augmenting mustard production in the country. Under the project, more than 1800 Mustard Model Farms have been developed so far in the states including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, using advanced scientific techniques of agriculture.

According to the data released by Agri World Mumbai on November 18, there has been an increase in acreage of mustard sowing this year in the current Rabi season. As compared to last year, the sowing area has increased by 4.73 lakh hectares in Rajasthan, 1.17 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh and 0.09 lakh hectares in Uttar Pradesh. In a study conducted by Mart Global Management Solutions in five districts of Rajasthan in the year 2021-22, it was observed that the production of mustard has increased by 35.63% in those places where the farming method has been done according to the modalities of “Mustard Model Farm Project”.

In the year 2022-23, more than 1800 model farms have been developed under the project in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. “Sixty per cent of the total consumption of oilseeds in the country is being imported.”