Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Edible oil Local production in Pakistan

 

 


Introduction to Oil Seed Crops

Introduction to Oil Seed Crops

Oil Seed Crops are primarily grown for the oil contained in the seeds and widely used in cooking across Pakistan. The oil content percentage in oil seed crops varies from 20 % to 60 % depending upon the size and variety. Many oilseed crops are grown in Pakistan predominantly as a source of vegetable oil. The commonly grown varieties are Rapeseed mustard, groundnut and sesame, which are grown in the country for a long period. Sunflower, soybean and safflower have been introduced recently in the country. There are also some oilseed crops, which are mainly used for industrial purposes, such as linseed and castor. Presently, local production of oilseeds meets only about 32% percent of the total country's requirements for edible oil. The Benefits of Oil Seed Crops

 

Import

Edible oil is Pakistan’s largest food import commodity ranking third in the import list after petroleum products and machinery. Pakistan is dependent upon other countries to fulfill more than 80% edible oil requirement and spending a big amount of foreign exchange every year.   The country’s annual import of edible oil stands at a staggering $4 billion, causing a significant drain on the country’s economy.

 

Local production

The local production of edible oil is less than 20% of country’s requirements. The gap between production and consumption of edible oil is still increasing due to increase in population and increase in per capita consumption of edible oil in our daily diet. Directorate of Oilseeds, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad (Pakistan) is carrying out research activities to develop oilseed crop varieties/hybrids including Canola, Rapeseed, Mustard, Sunflower, Sesame and Soybean having better adaptability under the scenario of climate change. As an outcome of research activities, Directorate of Oilseeds evolved more than 30 varieties of above-mentioned oilseed crops which significantly played important role in enhancing provincial and national production of oilseeds. In recent years, ORI Faisalabad worked on enhanced pace and developed high yielding varieties of Canola i.e. Sandal Canola, Super Canola and AARI Canola. AARI Canola is the Pakistan’s 1st Canola version (00) variety in Mustard group and got much popularity among farmers due to short growing period, shattering tolerance and high omega-3 oil. With the collaborative efforts of Directorate of Oilseeds and other stake holders, especially Agriculture extension wing, the farming community was inspired to grow oilseed crops which significantly enhanced crop area in the province. Use of quality seed of better oilseed varieties and adoption of appropriate production technology also enhanced the average per acre production of oilseed crops during last two years. However, mechanization in cultivation of oilseed crops can further accelerate the growth of oilseeds sector. 

: There are many benefits and advantages of growing oil seed crops such as: Grown in any Farm System: Almost all the varieties of oil seed crops can be grown in any farming system. These crops are mostly weather resistant and can be grown in all sorts of weather conditions and have the following advantages:  These crops are easy to grow and doØ not require any till farm practice.  Oil seed crops can be easily grown inØ mulch till as well as no till farms.  No specific mechanization is requiredØ and can be easily grown through conventional farming methods. Rotational Crops: Out of all the varieties of oil seed crops, some of them are summer varieties and others are winter varieties. So they can be used as a form of rotational crops between the conventional crops grown in summer and winter season which leads to soil fertility and enhances the nutrient composition of soil for other crops to be grown. Support for Pest Management: Oil seed crops are ideal for pest hit land as when grown, they change the chemical pesticide formulation to assist in weed and disease control. All the varieties of oil seed crop helps in reducing the grassy weed hence providing optimum produce. These crops are also resistant to insects. Addition to Soil Health and Quality: As these crops also serve the purpose of rotational crops, their farming helps in making the soil fertile thus increasing the soil sustainability. Oil seed crops are tap root crops so they break the tillage pans by utilizing the different moisture profiles. These crops also help in reducing the soil erosion and help in keeping it firm thus increasing the chances for soil microbial activity which is required for the optimum crop growth and production. Economic Value: The main advantage of oil seed crops is that they provide alternative opportunities in marketing in the form of oil and meal byproducts which can be used on farm after processing to reduce energy and feed costs. Additionally, the crops grown after the harvesting of oil seed crops, always give higher yield because of the soil sustainability factor gained through planting oil seed crops. Oil seed crops have diversified markets for assisting with farm sustainability. Oil Seed Crops 2 Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Nutritional Value: Fats and oils are essential nutrients, comprising about 40% of the calories in the average diet intake. Edible vegetable oils are used as salad or cooking oils, or may be solidified (by a process called hydrogenation) to make margarine and shortening. These products supplement or replace animal products (e.g., butter, lard), supplies of which are inadequate to meet the needs of an increasing world population. Oil Seed Crop Varieties: Following are the commonly grown and used varieties of oil seed crops: Rapeseed-Mustard and Canola: Rapeseed-Mustard and Canola is a rich source of oil and protein. The seed has oil as high as 46-48 percent, Whole seed meal has 43.6 percent protein. Rapeseed meal is an excellent feed for animals. Salient characteristics of this crop is that it has high yielding potential and better tolerance to stresses like drought and extreme cold. Commonly used varieties in Pakistan are:  DGL·  Toria-A·  Raya L-18·  Poorbi Raya·  Raya Anmol·  Khanpur Raya·  Punjab Canola·  Faisal Canola· Sunflower: Sunflower has been accommodated between the two major crops in a cotton and rice-based cropping system, or on fallow land in summers. Moreover, sunflower displays good intercropping compatibility with other crops. The commonly used sunflower varieties are:  PARC-92E·  SMH-9706·  SMH-0907·  SMH-0917· Soybean: It is one of the most important oilseed crops in the world. It contains 18 to 22 percent oil and is highly desirable in the diet and have 40 to 42 percent of good quality protein. Therefore, it is the best source of protein and oil and truly claim the title of the meat/oil that grows on plants. Generally, it is used in the food industry for flour, oil, margarine, cookies, biscuit, candy, milk, vegetable cheese, lecithin and many other products. Oil Seed Crops 3 Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Soybean is a dual season crop and a high yielding produce as well. The most commonly grown variety is:  Faisal Soybean· Sesame: It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. Sesame seed is one of the oldest corn-seed crops known, domesticated well over 3000 years ago. It was a major summer crop in the Middle East for thousands of years, as attested to by the discovery of many ancient presses for sesame oil in the region. Sesame is drought-tolerant and is able to grow where other crops fail. Sesame has one of the highest oil contents of any oil seed. The commonly grown varieties SG-51·  SG-43·  SG-30· Linseed / Flax Flax is an annual plant, 18 -36 inches tall, with small and thin leaves and blue flowers. Flax is cultivated both for seed as well as for fiber. The different portions of the plant have been utilized to produce fabric, medicines, paper, dye, fishing nets in addition to soap. A vegetable oil known as linseed oil or flaxseed oil is produced by the seeds. In addition to this flaxseed meal is used as animal feed. According to researchers, there is an evidence that flaxseed is good for improving overall health or preventing diseases. The commonly used variety is:  Chandni·

 

Coastal area potential

Experts suggest that the coastal areas of Sindh have high potential for the production of palm, sesame, and canola oils, but it is imperative that the government takes swift action to increase production and reduce reliance on imports.

 

President Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Miran Mohammed Shah highlighted that the Southern Divisions of Sindh, including the areas of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, and Shaheed Benazirabad, are already making advances in growing oilseed crops

 

Governments support

Due to non-standardised approaches, locally cultivated different edible oil plant varieties have not been able to achieve desired results. For example, in Mianwali, Canola is being cultivated significantly now, but the non-approved Canola variety of UAF-11 used by the majority of farmers contains around 20% euric acid, exceeding the maximum limit of euric acid for edible oil, which is less than 5%. This lack of standardisation has resulted in a rise in smuggling due to the hike in prices of edible oil.

“The edible oil industry doesn’t want to a pay fair price to the local farmers, but seems to be willing to pay more to foreign growers,”  

 

Local farmers are not getting any support from the government side in the development of these seeds, including incentives like subsidised rates and ensuring the availability and development of such seeds.

 

Policy

There is a huge opportunity in Pakistan to grow oil seeds with a sustained long-term policy. This policy should  include the provision of quality seeds/plants, proper pricing, and extension work so that growers can attain proper yields and return on the crop.

Despite identifying the opportunity to grow oil seeds in Pakistan for more than a decade, there is still a lack of attention from the government in agriculture to develop a long-term sustainable policy, he said.

With the country’s reliance on imports and rising prices of edible oil, urgent action is necessary to boost the local production of edible oil in Pakistan. The potential for the production of palm, sesame, and canola oils in the coastal areas of Sindh can be harnessed with the government’s intervention and support for standardized approaches and the development of quality seeds/plants. A sustained long-term policy is needed to improve the agriculture sector’s production of edible oil in Pakistan.

 

 

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