The annual All India Convention on Oilseeds, Oil Trade & Industry, which concluded here on Sunday, underlined the need for increasing soya bean yield in the country from its current level through technological upgradation and reduce dependence on imported oil.

Addressing the convention, the State Agriculture Minister, Dr Ramkrishna Kusmaria, said the Madhya Pradesh Government has taken several initiatives on its part but much was to be done to match soya production at the world-level.

Chairman of Soya bean Processors Association of India (SOPA) chairman, Mr Rameshchandra Agrawal, said the demand for edible oil, which is currently around 12.8 kg per person per year will jump to 13.5 kg in 2011-12. With an estimated availability of 76 lakh tonnes during 2011-12, we need to import nearly 90 lakh tonnes of edible oils to meet our domestic demand, but this would be possible only if we enhance the yield and productivity.

In this regard, the government has recently signed an MoU with Japan to increase yield and improve quality of soya bean seeds. The collaboration will have its headquarter in Indore and carry out research and development works on soya bean crop, Dr Kusmaria said, adding that besides growing soya bean and other oilseeds in abundance, the State is home to a large clusters of medicinal plants, which if honed properly by industry bodies, can bring much needed foreign exchange for the State.

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