Palm Oil Imports

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

Lower palm oil imports by India, the world's largest buyer of vegetable oils, could lift inventories in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia

Imports of soyoil dropped more than 18% to 370,661 tons and sunflower oil imports fell 45% to a two-year low of 142,953 tons, the industry body said

Meanwhile, soyoil imports fell 12 per cent to 400,000 tons, and sunflower oil imports slid 44 per cent to a two-year low of 145,000 tons, according to dealer estimates

The increase in purchases by the world's largest buyer is likely to reduce stocks in key producing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia and lend support to benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures

India's palm oil imports in September dropped 16.3 per cent to 829,017 metric tonnes, marking their lowest point since May, the industry trade body SEA of India said

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

Higher palm oil imports by India, the world's largest buyer of vegetable oils, are expected to help top producers Indonesia and Malaysia

Indian vegetable oil importers are ramping up palm oil purchases ahead of the festival season as declining global prices make it cost-effective to meet expected demand surge during the festive period, according to the Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA). The recent reduction in import duty on crude edible oils to 10 per cent, from 20 per cent, provides "a little bit of relief" for consumers, though prices would have been higher otherwise, IVPA President Sudhakar Desai told PTI in an interview. The duty cut was reflected in loose oils within two days but it takes up to 25 days to reflect in packaged oils, he said, and added the IVPA welcomes the government's soon-to-be-notified new regulations on the vegetable oil sector. The organised sector will not have any issue in implementing it unlike the unorganised sector. "Preparations have already started. We see good imports in July. People are buying ahead of festival time. The pipeline was dry in the previous three month

Gujarat's Kandla Port has pledged to address vessel congestion issues and ensure uninterrupted edible oil supplies, the Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) said on Monday. The assurance came during a meeting between industry representatives and Kandla Port Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh, aimed at resolving bottlenecks that have affected imports of palm oil and other edible oils. Singh outlined infrastructure improvements, including new 14-inch pipelines and preparations to handle edible oil at two additional berths with dedicated pipelines, the IVPA said in a statement. The port authority agreed to maintain its existing system of imposing penalty charges for delayed vessel discharges rather than moving ships to outer anchorage for re-berthing, which creates additional costs for importers, the association said. Singh emphasised the need for coordination between port officials and importers to minimise delays after vessels dock, and urged vessel agents to flag potential .

Higher purchases by India, the world's biggest buyer of palm oil, will support benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures, which have fallen nearly 10 per cent so far in 2025

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

Depleted stocks could force the world's biggest buyer of vegetable oils to increase imports of palm oil and soyoil in the coming months, supporting Malaysian palm oil prices and US soyoil futures

Sitapati does not expect the price hikes to have an impact on sales as palm oil-based products, including soap, tend "not to be discretionary" goods that consumers can forgo

Benchmark palm oil futures, which jumped 20 per cent in 2024 to a two-year high, have already lost market share as top importers like India shift to cheaper alternatives such as soybean

Palm oil accounted for 56 per cent of India's total edible oil imports in the last marketing year, but in the first three months of the current year its share fell to 43 per cent

The thin lineup of vessels carrying palm oil at key ports such as Kandla, Haldia, and Krishnapatnam over the next two weeks suggests imports could drop to about 370,000 metric tons in Jan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday urged state governments to prioritise oil palm plantation targets under the NMEO-OP scheme by addressing bottlenecks and mobilizing available resources. The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was launched in August 2021, with the primary objective of enhancing domestic production of palm oil and reducing reliance on imports. The mission aims to bring 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm plantations by 2025-26. "While significant progress has been made in certain regions, others need to accelerate their efforts," Chouhan said in a statement. The under utilization of allocated funds and delays in achieving plantation targets underscore the urgency for a more focused and coordinated approach, he said. Chouhan emphasized the need for states to prioritize achieving their plantation targets by addressing bottlenecks and mobilizing available resources. With substantial unspent funds under NMEO-OP, the minister urged state

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

Weather has been favourable for Indian crops this year, resulting in higher production of soybean and ground nuts, Mehta said, adding that rapeseed output was also expected to rise