Edible Oil Imports Likely to Drop 5% Below 155 Lakh Tonnes
19-Aug-2025 01:34 PM
Mumbai. The subordinate director of Solvent Extractors Association of India (C), a leading organization of the indigenous vegetable oil industry and trade sector,
has estimated the total import of edible oils in the country to fall below 155 lakh tonnes during the current marketing season (November-October) of 2024-25, which is about 5 percent less than the gross import of 160 lakh tonnes in the 2023-24 season.
It is known that India mainly imports palm oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. It is believed that due to increased production of oilseed oil from indigenous sources and the demand being somewhat weak due to high retail price, the import of edible oils will decline.
During the first four months of the current year (January-April 2025), the import of edible oil and especially palm oil had decreased significantly.
According to 'C', there was a good increase in domestic production of mustard, soybean and groundnut, which increased the supply and availability of edible oils.
But on the other hand, the retail market price of edible oils has remained very high and strong for the last several months. Due to which its demand and consumption is being affected in some sections of the population.
The price of mustard oil has jumped to a very high level. According to the Executive Director, although a total of 155 lakh tonnes of edible oils are estimated to be imported in the country during the 2024-25 season, but the current indications suggest that its actual import may be 2 lakh tonnes less than that.
About 250 lakh tonnes of edible oils are used annually in India, out of which 57 percent is imported from abroad. The association's data shows that during the first nine months of the current marketing season,
i.e. from November 2024 to July 2025, the total import of edible oils in the country declined to around 107.50 lakh tonnes, which was about 10 percent less than the imports during the same period of the 2023-24 season.
This does not include the import of palm oil. During the period under review, palm oil imports fell by 25 percent to 51.40 lakh tonnes and its share in total edible oil imports declined from 57 percent to 48 percent.