National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP)

India imports a large share of the edible oil it consumes, and NMOOP is the production-side answer to that. It has been running since 2014-15 and covers 27 states, including the North Eastern states.

The mission works mainly through demonstrations and input support — showing farmers what a well-grown oilseed crop yields with the right variety and inputs, and subsidising the inputs that make it possible.

Assistance is given for:

• Cluster demonstrations and front-line demonstrations
• Quality seeds and new varieties, including mini kits
• Soil inputs and micronutrients
• Bio-fertilizers and bio-agents
• Farm machinery
• Water-saving equipment
• Plant protection chemicals
• Training for farmers and extension personnel

Seed mini kits are worth asking about specifically — they are a low-commitment way to trial a new variety on part of your plot before switching over.

Per-item rates are set in the mission's guidelines and the state action plan and are not published in the official compilation. Get the current rates from your district agriculture office.

• Farmers growing oilseeds or oil palm in one of the 27 covered states.
• Extension personnel, for the training components.
• Which components are available in your district depends on your state's annual action plan.

• Availability is limited to the covered states and to the components in your state's plan for the year.
• Oil palm is a long-gestation crop with specific agro-climatic requirements and a long wait before first harvest. Before committing land to it, ask your district office about the buy-back arrangement and the price formula that will apply to your fruit — that, not the planting subsidy, determines whether the crop pays.
• Assistance is capped at approved unit costs.

How to apply

This scheme is implemented through state governments, so the practical route is your district agriculture office or your state's agriculture department portal — not a central application.

When you go, ask for three things specifically:

1. Which components are open in your district this year
2. The assistance rate or unit cost for the item you want
3. Whether sanction must come before purchase, which it usually does

The last question matters most. Buying the equipment or input first and applying afterwards is the most common reason a subsidy claim is rejected.

• Land record
• Aadhaar and bank account details
• Purchase bills from approved dealers where reimbursement is claimed