Availability of vegoil to dip marginally

India’s vegetable oil availability from captive sources is estimated to decline a marginal 4 per cent during the ongoing 2009-10 oil year (November-October).

The total vegetable oil availability in the country in 2009-10 is likely to be 7.88 million tonnes compared with 8.21 million tonnes in the previous year, according to the Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT), the apex industry body.

COOIT estimates India’s rabi oilseed production to increase 2.5 per cent to 9.46 million tonnes this season against 9.23 million tonnes last year, despite a 4.31 per cent decline in acreage.

The agency attributes favourable climate as the major factor resulting in higher output.

The agriculture ministry on Thursday estimated a total rabi oilseed acreage this year at 94.07 lakh hectare (ha) compared with 98.31 lakh ha during the last season.

The rapeseed/ mustardseed output is likely to rise to 6.32 million tonnes from 6.20 million tonnes in the previous year, up 2 per cent. The groundnut output is forecast to increase to 1.83 million tonnes compared to 1.70 million tonnes last year.