The state government will promote oilseed cultivation and work with NDDB to build a local edible oil supply chain and brand.
West Bengal is planning to launch its own edible oil brand, starting with mustard oil, as part of a broader push to increase domestic oilseed production and reduce dependence on supplies from outside the state.
Cooperation and Food and Supplies Minister Ashok Kirtania said the proposed brand would be developed along the lines of the state’s Banglar Dairy brand. The government has sought support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for establishing the brand as well as strengthening procurement.
NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah said the board would assist West Bengal in setting up the mustard oil brand, drawing on its experience in edible oil marketing and procurement.
The state currently sources mustard from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and overseas markets. Agricultural Marketing and Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh said the government wants to encourage farmers to cultivate mustard, rather than expanding potato cultivation.
West Bengal is estimated to have produced around 25 lakh tonnes of potatoes this year, exceeding the state’s demand, according to the minister. The government sees greater oilseed cultivation as one way of diversifying farm production while strengthening the state’s edible oil supply chain.
As part of its eastern India edible oils initiative, NDDB will conduct a pilot programme across East Burdwan, Murshidabad, West Midnapore, Jhargram and South 24 Parganas. Covering 525 acres, the programme will promote mustard, groundnut and sunflower cultivation through four milk cooperatives and six farmer producer organisations (FPOs). NDDB plans to procure the entire produce generated under the pilot.
The initiative is part of NDDB’s broader effort to strengthen the edible oil value chain across West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.
NDDB has also signed an agreement with IIT Kharagpur to collaborate on research, technology development, field validation, capacity building, post-harvest management, processing and value addition in the edible oils sector.
The proposed mustard oil brand could therefore become the first step in West Bengal’s larger effort to build a state-backed edible oil ecosystem, linking farmers, cooperatives, processing and consumer markets.