Vegetable oil imports fall 13% to 9.12 lakh tonnes in April

New Delhi

Imports of vegetable oils, comprising edible and non-edible oils, fell 13% to nearly 9.12 lakh tonnes during April due to lower import of crude palm oil, according to industry data.

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) said in a statement that import of vegetable oils stood at 9,11,846 tonnes in April 2022 compared to 10,53,347 tonnes in April 2021.

The import of edible oils fell to 9,00,085 tonnes from 10,29,912 tonnes, while shipments of non-edible oils declined to 11,761 tonnes from 23,435 tonnes.

Import of crude palm oil in April dropped to 4,14,829 tonnes from 6,89,731 tonnes in the same month last year.

Imports of vegetable oils during the first six months of this oil marketing year (November 2021 to April 2022) rose 4% to 67,07,574 tonnes. It was 64,28,350 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous oil marketing year.

Oil marketing year runs from November to October.

“Indonesia has banned export of palm oil with effect from April 28, 2022 which has queered the pitch and make life difficult for hapless consumers across the world,” SEA said in a statement.