The country's vegetable oil imports jumped 14 per cent in the first quarter of the current oil year (November-October) on rising domestic demand and stagnant oilseed production. | |
According to data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), for the quarter ended January 2008, the country's vegetable oil imports totalled 12,46,441 tonnes compared with 10,91,006 tonnes a year ago.
ON THE UP
Imports of vegetable oils | | Month | Edible oils | Non-
edible oils | Total | | Nov.,2007 | 347,320 | 80,592 | 427,912 | | Dec.,2007 | 276,782 | 28,494 | 305,276 | | Jan.,2008 | 457,601 | 55,652 | 513,253 | | Nov'07-Jan'08 | 1,081,703 | 164,738 | 1,246,441 | | Nov'06-Jan'07 | 932,214 | 158,792 | 1,091,006 |
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| Edible oil imports during the quarter increased 16 per cent to 1,081,703 tonnes against 932,214 tonnes in the same quarter last year. Imports of non-edible oil, however, rose by a marginal 4 per cent to 164,738 tonnes from 158,792 tonnes. |
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| For January, total imports of edible oil surged by a whopping 46 per cent to 457,601 tonnes compared with 312,584 tonnes in the same month previous year. Non-edible oil imports rose by 54 per cent to 55,652 tonnes during the month. |
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| Imports of refined oil (RBD Palmolein) grew by 4 per cent to 48,032 tonnes during the quarter, while crude oil imports increased from 908,725 tonnes to 1,033,671 tonnes. |
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| Palm oil imports during November-January was 990,453 tonnes compared with 737,528 tonnes for the same period of last year, up by 13 per cent. |
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| Soft oil imports, on the other hand, declined sharply from 194,686 tonnes to 91,250 tonnes. Sunflower oil was not imported during the quarter, due to its high international prices. |
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