November Edible Oil Imports Fall, Stocks Ease

18-Dec-2025 08:39 PM

Mumbai. Data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), a leading organization of the indigenous vegetable oil industry and trade sector, shows that edible oil imports in November 2025 fell by 28 percent to 11.84 lakh tonnes compared to November 2024. 

This decline was particularly significant in the import of RBD palmolein, with almost all imports consisting of crude edible oils. This is a positive sign for the domestic industry.

During the period under review, imports of crude palm oil (CPO) increased slightly, but imports of crude soybean oil and crude sunflower oil declined.

Due to the sharp decline in imports, the total stock of edible oils at Indian ports and in pipelines decreased to 16.23 lakh tonnes on December 1, 2025, which was lower than the stock available at the beginning of November.

This import trend indicates that the government's policy is proving effective, and the measure of increasing the tariff differential to encourage the domestic refining industry is now yielding positive results.

Sowing of Rabi oilseed crops, especially mustard, is progressing satisfactorily, and the area under cultivation is ahead of both last year's area and the normal (five-year) average.

Sowing of this most important Rabi oilseed crop is still underway in many areas, but the area under cultivation is likely to lag behind in Madhya Pradesh.

A mixed trend is observed in the sowing of other Rabi oilseeds. The area under groundnut and linseed has decreased, while the area under sunflower and safflower has increased.