Edible Oils

The research used import duties on palm oil as the reference point, as it constitutes almost 60 per cent of India's annual edible oil imports

The Soybean Processors' Association of India (SOPA) has urged the government to increase import duty on edible oils by at least 10 per cent to protect farmers from sluggish domestic prices that have discouraged cultivation. In a representation to Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, SOPA Chairman Davish Jain said cheaper imports and depressed domestic oilseed prices have led farmers to reduce or abandon oilseed cultivation. "We earnestly request your kind intervention to revisit the customs duty structure on imported edible oils and increase the duty by at least 10 per cent at the earliest," Jain said, adding that such a measure will go a long way in restoring farmers' confidence, incentivising greater oilseed production, and reinforcing India's journey towards self-sufficiency. The appeal comes as the area under soybean cultivation has declined by over 5 per cent this year, with farmers disheartened by poor price realisation. Throughout the current marketing year, soybean .

Edible oil industry body SEA has demanded that the government lift the ban on export of De-Oiled Rice Bran (DORB) to protect domestic processors and enhance farmers income. At present, the ban is valid till September 2025. In a statement on Thursday, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said it has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the ongoing ban on the export of DORB. "SEA has urged the government not to extend the ban beyond September 30, 2025," the association said. It has written a letter to the prime minister, home minister as well as Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh. Before the ban that was imposed in 2023, the SEA noted that India exported 5-6 lakh tonnes of DORB annually, worth about Rs 1,000 crore, mainly to Asian countries, to stabilise feed and mi

A DDGS glut is hurting oilmeal demand, lowering oilseed prices, and driving Indian farmers to grow more corn and rice instead of soybeans and groundnuts, despite New Delhi's push to boost output

The government proposes mandatory registration for all vegetable oil producers under a new amendment to the Vegetable Oil Products, Production, and Availability Order of 2011

The Union Food Ministry has drafted a new order to regulate vegetable oil products in India by introducing more modern, transparent, and technologically advanced regulatory provisions, with a stronger emphasis on stakeholder participation and adaptability to industry changes. The 2025 draft Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (VOPPA) Regulation Order seeks to replace the 2011 order, and the ministry has sought public comments on the same by July 11. The 2025 draft order emphasises enhanced monitoring with increased surveillance of edible oil imports, production, stocks, and sales, likely using digital tools for better transparency and control. The earlier order was based on the regulatory environment and technology available at that time, focusing on traditional production, stocking, and reporting methods. The draft aims to streamline registration and compliance, possibly introducing online systems and an updated reporting format. The earlier order required periodic

While exporters have raised prices to nullify duty cuts, concerns over the Israel-Iran conflict, and the expected global diversion of additional vegetable oil for biofuel blending schemes are factors

The government has set a high MSP for soybean, but the near-collapse of the domestic market for oil meal, a key byproduct of soybeans, means farmers may look at alternative crops

Soybean processors say it will hurt oilseed growers, other say will push up domestic refining

ICMR recommends a 12 kg limit, but rising consumption is fuelling obesity, lifestyle diseases, and growing dependence on edible oil imports

The edible oil major saw its revenue rise 36 per cent in Q4 compared to last year

Lower-than-normal imports for the second straight month have depleted stocks in the world's biggest buyer of vegetable oils

Dependence on import for meeting the domestic requirements of this mass-consumed kitchen staple has continued to remain untenably high

While palm oil production elsewhere in the world is conducted on large-scale plantations, it is small-scale farmers in India who are the key to boosting production

Last month, India raised the basic import tax on crude and refined edible oils by 20 percentage points to help protect farmers struggling with lower oilseed prices

The government has asked edible oil processors not to hike retail prices following recent increase in import duties, as there is enough stock of cooking oils that were shipped at a lower duty. The food ministry said the stocks imported at lower duties would easily last 45-50 days, and therefore the processors should refrain from increasing maximum retail prices (MRP). Last week, the Centre implemented an increase in the basic customs duty on various edible oils to support domestic oilseed prices. Effective September 14, 2024, the basic customs duty on crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, and crude sunflower oil has been raised to 20 per cent from nil, making the effective duty on crude oils to 27.5 per cent. Additionally, the basic customs duty on refined palm oil, refined sunflower oil, and refined soyabean oil has been increased from 12.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent, making the effective duty on refined oils to 35.75 per cent. On Tuesday, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra chaired a mee

A proposal has been made by the farm ministry and a final decision will be made by the Department of Revenue, which falls under the finance ministry, said another government official

Packaged food company Annapurna Swadisht Ltd on Wednesday announced that it has acquired the six-decade-old 'Arati' brand mustard oil from R R Proteins and Agro Ltd (RRPAL) for a consideration of Rs 28 crore. The acquisition would help the company foray into the edible oil segment and strengthen its FMCG portfolio. The estimated amount of Rs 28 crore includes the cost of acquisition of manufacturing unit and the brand, a company official said. The funding for the deal would be a combination of internal accruals and debt, he said. RRPAL has a production capacity of 9 lakh litres of oil per month, and the acquisition will enable Annapurna Swadisht to enter a new business vertical of edible oil, he said. "We believe that acquisition offers an opportunity that aligns well with the company's overall strategy of becoming a formidable player in the packaged food industry in the semi-urban and rural markets of India," Annapurna Swadisht Ltd (ASL) Managing Director Shreeram Bagla said. Th

Edible oils industry body SEA on Monday demanded import curbs on finished products, including stearic acid and refined glycerine or impose duty with additional tariff on raw materials to safeguard the domestic industry. In a representation made to Food and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said: "Domestic oleochemical industry facing severe threat due to large scale import of finished product viz. stearic acid, refined glycerine, soap noodles and oleic acid at nil duty." SEA has requested the government to take immediate steps to safeguard the interests of the domestic industry by taking some measures. "Imports of finished products like stearic acid, soap noodles, oleic acid and refined glycerine should be placed under restricted items list," it said. Or else, the government should impose import duty on these products with additional duty of 25 per cent on imported raw material like refined palm stearin, it said. That apart,

The country's vegetable oil imports declined by 28 per cent to 12 lakh tonnes in January from a year-ago period, industry body SEA said on Monday. Vegetable oil imports stood at 16.61 lakh tonnes in January 2023. India is a leading vegetable oil buyer in the world. In the first quarter (November-January) of the current oil year, total imports dropped 23 per cent to 36.73 lakh tonnes as against 47.73 lakh tonnes in the same quarter of previous year. According to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), about 7,82,983 tonnes of palm oil and 4,08,938 tonnes of soft oil were imported in January this year out of total vegetables oils. As on February 1, total edible oils stock stood at 26.49 lakh tonnes, down 7.64 per cent from that of the year-ago period, it said in a statement. SEA said prices of edible oils, which are currently low, may go up this year on lower production, global economic issues and supply constraints. The availability of palm oil for edible oil requireme