Edible Oil

India's edible oil demand continues to rise on the back of population growth and improving incomes, making import dependence difficult to curb unless domestic oilseed production rises sharply

India's edible oil imports rose 3 per cent to 166.51 lakh tonnes in the 2025-26 fiscal year, driven largely by a sharp jump in duty-free imports from Nepal, industry body Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said on Tuesday. Imports had stood at 161.82 lakh tonnes in the prior fiscal year. Nepal, which enjoys zero-duty access to Indian markets under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement, exported 7.36 lakh tonnes of edible oils to India during the year, more than double the 3.45 lakh tonnes shipped in the previous fiscal, a rise of 113 per cent. Refined soybean oil made up the bulk of Nepal's exports to India, with smaller volumes of sunflower oil, RBD Palmolein and rapeseed oil also traded. "The surge in duty-free imports of refined oils from Nepal substantially contributed to the increase in India's total edible oil imports during the year," SEA said in a statement. The association said that without the SAFTA arrangement, overall imports would likely have .

The deliberations come as the government steps up efforts to curb foreign-exchange outflows, which have put pressure on the rupee - Asia's worst-performing currency this year

Indore-based Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) has called the non-standard pack sizes used in edible oil packaging misleading for consumers, and urged the central government to immediately intervene in the matter. The organisation said many companies are introducing such pack sizes of edible oils into the market, confusing consumers regarding price and quantity. SOPA Executive Director D N Pathak said on Wednesday that the organisation has written a letter to the Secretary of the Union Consumer Affairs Department in this regard. The letter said five national organisations of the edible oil industry had previously jointly presented on this subject and recommended standardisation of packaging volumes for edible oils in the interest of consumers. "The government, with good intentions, removed the standard quantity restrictions on packaging edible oils and mandated the per-unit price on packages. However, some manufacturers are misusing this exemption by introducing ...

India's edible oils imports rose 12 per cent annually to 11.73 lakh tonne in March on higher shipments of crude palm oil, and the imports may be subdued in coming months due to firm global prices and high freight cost amid the West Asia conflict, according to industry body SEA. In a statement on Monday, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said imports of edible oils increased to 11,73,168 tonne in March from 10,45,281 tonne in the year-ago period. As per the SEA data, imports of crude palm oil surged to 6,73,965 tonne last month from 3,43,949 tonne in March 2025. Non-edible oil imports fell to 13,401 tonne from 27,742 tonne. Imports of vegetable oils (including both edible and non-edible) increased 11 per cent to 11,86,569 tonne last month from 10,73,023 tonne in March 2025. India imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while soyabean oil is sourced from Argentina and Brazil. The country meets more than half of its domestic demand through imports. During the f

Lower consumption could curb India's imports of edible ‌oils, including palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, and soyoil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine

Parliament panel seeks safeguard duty on palm oil to protect domestic farmers

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The company also plans to expand its 'FOR CHEF' portfolio by introducing sauces, condiments, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products in the next few months

India, which meets nearly two-thirds of its edible oil demand through imports, also buys palm oil from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, with shipments typically reaching its ports in about a week

Brent rally amid Strait of Hormuz tensions may lift edible oil prices in India, even without supply disruptions

India's vegetable oil imports fell 2 per cent to 3.96 million tonnes in the first quarter of the 2025-26 oil year (November-October) from a year earlier, as lower soybean and sunflower oil purchases offset a rise in palm oil imports, industry data showed on Friday. The world's biggest vegetable oil importer bought 4.05 million tonnes, including edible and non-edible oils, in the same period a year ago, according to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA). Palm oil imports rose 18 per cent to 1.91 million tonnes in the November 2025-January 2026 quarter from 1.62 million tonnes a year earlier, the industry body said in a statement. Port stocks of palm oil stood at 4,86,000 tonnes on February 1, up 33,000 tonnes from the previous month. Crude soybean oil imports fell 9 per cent to 1.20 million tonnes from 1.27 million tonnes, while port stocks declined to 1,90,000 tonnes from 3,00,000 tonnes a month earlier. Crude sunflower oil imports dropped 15 per cent to 7,59,000 ton

India's edible oil production is estimated at 9.6 million tonnes in 2025-26 marketing year, and it will have to import around 16.7 million tonnes of cooking oils to meet domestic demand, according to industry body IVPA. India imports soyabean oil mainly from Argentina and Brazil, while the country imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia. Of the total domestic demand, the country has to import about 60 per cent of the quantity. Addressing a conference in Kuala Lumpur, Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) President Sudhakar Desai noted that "global edible oil markets have entered a phase of structural volatility, driven by trade realignments, biofuel mandates and supply rigidity". In a statement on Monday, Desai, who is also the CEO of Emami Agrotech Ltd, said the geopolitical restructuring has altered global trade corridors. Speaking on a topic 'Navigating Structural Shifts in Global Edible Oils: Implications for India', he said, "Small adjustments in duties, ...

About 35,000 to 40,000 tonnes of the commodity from Brazil and Argentina, booked for delivery in February and April-July period, have been scrapped, with total cancellations to exceed 50,000 tonnes

India imported 16 million tonnes of edible oils for nearly Rs 1.61 lakh crore during the 2024-25 marketing year ended October to meet domestic demand, according to industry body SEA. In the 2023-24 marketing year (November-October), India's edible oil imports stood at 15.96 million tonnes worth Rs 1.32 lakh crore, as per the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) data released on Thursday. The increase in edible oil imports in value terms was 22 per cent because of higher global prices. India imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while the soyabean oil comes from Argentina and Brazil. "To bridge the gap between supply and demand, India has resorted to imports since 1990s. In the initial period, the import volume was very low. However, in the last 20 years (2004-05 to 2024-25), import volume has increased by 2.2 times while cost of import has gone up nearly 15 times," the association said. In 2024-25, India had to spend nearly Rs 1.61 lakh crore (USD 18.3 billion) in

Edible oil major AWL Agri Business Ltd on Monday reported a 21 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 244.85 crore in the September quarter. Its net profit stood at Rs 311.02 crore in the year-ago period. Total income rose to Rs 17,525.61 crore during the July-September period of this fiscal year from Rs 14,552.04 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding year, according to a regulatory filing. AWL Agri Business Ltd, which sells edible oils and other food items under Fortune as well as some other brands, said, "PAT (profit after tax) at Rs 245 crore was down 21 per cent YoY on account of a strong base quarter". During the quarter, the company recorded volume growth of 2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 1.68 million tonnes across three businesses -- edible oils, industry essentials. and food -- FMCG. During the second quarter of this fiscal, revenue from edible oils rose 26 per cent year-on-year, and industry essentials posted a 19 per cent increase. "Food & FMCG

The government on Wednesday said it will launch inspection drives to verify compliance with new edible oil regulations as it seeks to tighten oversight of a sector vital to the country's food security. The Food Ministry said the field checks are aimed at enforcing stricter reporting requirements under an amended order that mandates all edible oil manufacturers, processors and distributors to register with authorities and submit monthly production data. The inspections will target non-compliant units and are intended to "reinforce the seriousness of compliance and maintain the integrity of the national data ecosystem for the edible oil sector," the ministry said in a statement. Under the amended Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (Regulation) Order, 2025, firms across the edible oil supply chain must register through the National Single Window System at https://www.nsws.gov.in and file monthly returns via https://www.edibleoilindia.in. Companies failing to comply fa

The government on Friday announced the lifting of the export ban on de-oiled rice bran, used in the cattle feed industry. Edible oil industry body SEA had earlier urged the government to lift the ban on exports to protect domestic processors and enhance farmers' income. "The export policy of de-oiled rice bran is hereby amended from prohibited to free with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. The ban was imposed last year. In a separate notification, the DGFT said exports of agricultural commodities like dairy goods, onions, potatoes, certain vegetables, rice, and wheat, to Bhutan are exempted from applicable restrictions and prohibitions, with immediate effect and until further orders. Bhutan is India's friendly neighbour. These exemptions are also on other commodities, including tea, soybean oil, groundnut oil, palm oil, animal, vegetable fats and oils, Cane or beet sugar, and salt. In another notification, the DGFT said th

CACP has proposed oil-linked MSP for mustard and safflower to incentivise high-yield varieties, reduce edible oil imports, and improve farmers' returns

Edible oil demand-supply gap may widen to 40 mn tonnes by 2047, warns paper