Union Budget 2023-24: Govt Plans Planting Cactus on Degraded Land for Biofuel, Food

Budget 2023-24 could include a plan for cactus plantation and the use of the plant to meet India's energy needs. A proposal in this regard has been discussed in multiple meetings in the rural development ministry over the last month, according to a senior government official. Giriraj Singh, the minister of rural development, presided over these meetings.

According to government estimates, degraded land increased from 96.32 million hectares in 2011-13 to 97.84 million hectares in 2018-19.

The government is committed to increasing farmer income, and cactus cultivation has the potential to significantly boost the rural economy in states with large areas of degraded land.

"The minister believes that biofuel production will reduce the country's fuel import burden while also contributing to employment and income generation for the poor farmers in these areas," said an official who attended one of the meetings.

The rural development ministry has enlisted the help of the ministries of petroleum and agriculture, as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Land Areas (ICARDA), to launch a pilot project in Madhya Pradesh's Amlaha Farm, with technical assistance from the ministry of petroleum.

The ministry previously met with top officials from Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, and South Africa, as India seeks to replicate the success story of cactus cultivation elsewhere.

The Department of Land Resources has been tasked with restoring degraded lands in India through the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana's watershed development component (WDC-PMKSY).

Along with some northeastern states, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are the top three states with the most degraded land due to climatic conditions or deforestation.