: Viewpoint: A case for curtailing edible oil imports #IndiaNEWS #News By G Nagaraj and T Damodaram India is in a paradoxical situation with respect to edible and vegetable oils. It is one of the largest

Viewpoint: A case for curtailing edible oil imports #IndiaNEWS #News
By G Nagaraj and T Damodaram
India is in a paradoxical situation with respect to edible and vegetable oils. It is one of the largest producers and also one of the largest importers. Naturally, it has become a major consumer of edible oils in the world. The country’s edible oils import bill was around Rs 1. 2 lakh crore in 2021-22. It imported 13 million tonnes of edible oils during the same period – 63% palm oil and the remaining soybean and sunflower. Worldwide consumption was over 205 million tonnes while India’s consumption was around 25 million tonnes. Domestic production was only around 11 million tonnes. The gap between demand and supply of edible oils is about 56% and is met through imports.
Sources of Supply
Indigenous supply of edible oils comes from cultivated oilseeds, groundnut, rapeseed, sesame, sunflower, safflower, soybean and niger. Among these, soybean (34%), groundnut (27%), rapeseed and mustard (27%) contribute to more than 88% of total oilseeds production and >;80% of vegetable oil with a major share of mustard (35%), soybean (23%) and groundnut (25%).

It also gets its edible oil supply from byproduct oils like rice bran, corn and cotton seed. Coconut and ghee also to some extent contribute to the edible oils kitty. According to estimates, the ghee market in India was valued at Rs 2,62,400 crore in 2021. The country also has a few sources of animal oils like tallow, lard and some fish oils in addition to ghee. Despite the availability of a wide range of edible oil sources, India is pitiably the largest importer of edible oils.
Need-based Approach
There is an urgent need to reduce imports, keeping in view the huge expenditure the government is incurring. The first question is whether India needs to import such large quantities, namely, about 140 lakh tonnes of edible oil? We should ponder over the need, especially, keeping the health of the nation in view. Nutritionists recommend that a healthy adult should consume around 30g per day or approximately 1kg of oil per month only. At this rate, for a population of 130 crore, India needs only 150 lakh tonnes of edible oil. Even if some industrial needs are taken into account, the total requirement should not be beyond 180 lakh tonnes. Unhesitatingly, India should immediately reduce the extra imports of 70 lakh tonnes.
A multi-pronged approach is essential to curtail the import of edible oil. Reduction in consumption along with increased production of oilseeds should be undertaken. The public should be awakened to reduce consumption. One or the other of the following advisories should be printed on the edible oil packets: ‘Consume one kg oil per adult per month and maintain Healthy Heart’, ‘Restrict Oil Consumption to One kg per Adult per Month and Maintain Healthy Heart’ or ‘An adult needs only one kg oil per month.

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