Latest News

NDDB, IIT Kharagpur Join Hands to Strengthen Edible Oils Value Chain

NDDB and IIT Kharagpur have joined hands to boost the edible oils value chain in eastern India, with a focus on research, technology, processing and stronger market linkages for farmers.

The two institutions signed an MoU on September 23 during the launch of NDDB’s Initiative for Strengthening the Edible Oils Value Chain in the Eastern Region at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park in New Town, Kolkata.

West Bengal Agricultural Marketing and Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh formally launched the initiative in the presence of Cooperation and Food and Supplies Minister Ashok Kirtania.

The event was attended by NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah and IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty, who participated virtually, along with senior officials from the West Bengal government, ICAR, NABARD and NDDB. Representatives of dairy cooperatives, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and farming communities also took part in the programme.

Under the agreement, NDDB and IIT Kharagpur will work together to advance the edible oils sector through joint research, technology innovation, field trials, capacity building, improved post-harvest practices, processing and value addition.

The collaboration will bring together NDDB’s expertise in farmer organisations, cooperatives, FPOs and on-ground implementation with IIT Kharagpur’s strengths in scientific research, engineering, technology development, data analytics and post-harvest management.

Technical assistance for the initiative will be provided by institutions including ICAR, BARC, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and state agricultural universities. As part of the launch, seed minikits were handed out to participating farmers, signalling the beginning of field-level activities under the programme.

State eyes higher farm incomes through oilseeds

West Bengal is looking to expand oilseed cultivation as part of efforts to raise farm incomes, with mustard, groundnut, sunflower and sesame identified as key crops for development.

Agricultural marketing authorities will focus on strengthening the infrastructure and systems needed to aggregate, store, process and market oilseeds, state minister Dilip Ghosh said. The approach is also aimed at cutting post-harvest losses and creating additional employment opportunities in rural areas.

Ghosh said the state’s established dairy cooperative network could also be leveraged to encourage farmers to take up oilseed production, potentially creating additional income streams for rural households. He highlighted the importance of providing farmers with access to training, institutional credit and crop insurance.

Greater participation by cooperatives could strengthen the negotiating position of small and marginal farmers, he said. At the same time, the partnership between NDDB and IIT Kharagpur could help bring cost-effective technologies to farmers and strengthen systems for the procurement, processing and marketing of edible oils.

Pulses may be next area of focus

Cooperation and food and supplies minister Ashok Kirtania proposed exploring a similar model for the pulses sector. Expanding domestic pulse production, he said, could lower the country’s dependence on imports while improving availability for consumers.

Kirtania said both the West Bengal government and NDDB were working toward a value-chain model in which a greater share of the economic gains reaches farmers rather than being absorbed by multiple intermediaries.

He also urged NDDB to explore farmer-oriented brands that could help producers scale up output and establish stronger links with markets and end consumers. Such initiatives, he said, could give farmers greater participation in the value chain while improving their access to organised markets.

Pilot programmes launched across three states

NDDB chairman Meenesh Shah said boosting domestic oilseed production and developing a stronger value chain remain key priorities for the organisation, in line with the Centre’s focus on the sector under the National Mission on Edible Oils.

NDDB is implementing programmes through dairy cooperatives and farmer producer organisations (FPOs), building on its experience of developing farmer-owned institutions. The initiative also draws on the board’s earlier involvement in oilseeds, including Operation Golden Flow, oilseed cooperatives and the Dhara brand.

Shah underlined the scope for linking oilseed farming with dairy and other allied agricultural activities. According to him, better use of oilseed by-products, crop residues and dairy waste could support circular-economy models, reduce resource wastage and create additional income opportunities for farmers.

The programme is aimed at expanding domestic oilseed production while improving aggregation, processing, value addition and market access through farmer-focused and cooperative-driven models.

NDDB is currently testing similar approaches in Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, working with farmers connected to dairy cooperatives.