Why did previous attempts to boost domestic oil palm production fail?

Massive forest loss and impact on wildlife, long gestation, small farm holdings among hurdles to cultivation

Earlier this month, Prime Min­ister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 11,000-crore National Mission on Edible Oils with special focus on oil palm to boost domestic production of the largest ingred­ient of India’s edible oil imports.

The mission, according to a Cabinet decision of August 18, approved a benchmark purchase price for oil palm along the lines of the existing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for other crops. This price is to be calculated by the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices along with a provision to compensate for the loss through direct benefit transfer if the market price of oil palm falls