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India's vegetable oil imports up 51% YoY in Sept, says SEA
This story was originally published at 14:32 IST on 15 October 2025
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--SEA: India Sept vegetable oil imports 1.64 mln tn vs 1.09 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Sept edible oil imports 1.60 mln tn vs 1.06 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Sept crude palm oil imports 824,761 tn vs 432,510 tn yr ago
--SEA: India Sept RBD palmolein imports nil vs 84,279 tn yr ago
--SEA: India Sept crude soyoil imports 503,240 tn vs 384,382 tn yr ago
--SEA: India Sept sunflower oil imports 272,386 tn vs 152,803 tn yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept sunflower oil imports 2.6 mln tn vs 3.3 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept crude palm oil imports 5.9 mln tn vs 6.4 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept crude soyoil imports 4.4 mln tn vs 3.1 mln yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept RBD palmolein imports 995,711 tn vs 1.7 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept edible oil imports 14 mln tn vs 14.5 mln tn yr ago
--SEA: India Nov-Sept veg oil imports 14.3 mln tn vs 14.8 mln tn year ago
--SEA: India Oct 1 edible oil stock at ports 1 mln tn vs 820,000 tn yr ago
--SEA: India Oct 1 edible oil pipeline stock 975,000 tn vs 1.6 mln tn yr ago
NEW DELHI – India's vegetable oil imports, including both edible and non-edible oils, rose 51% on year to 1.64 million tonnes in September, according to the data released by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India on Wednesday. Imports rose sharply due to higher arrivals of crude palm oil and crude soyoil, even as refined palmolein imports dropped to nil in the month.
Refined cooking oil imports were nil in September as the higher duty difference between crude and refined edible oil made refined oil imports uneconomical, encouraging refiners to import crude oils instead, the association said. In September 2024, India had imported 84,279 tonnes of refined palmolein.
Crude soyoil imports rose sharply to 503,240 tonnes in September from 384,382 tonnes a year ago, and crude sunflower oil imports increased to 272,386 tonnes from 152,803 tonnes. Imports of crude palm oil nearly doubled to 824,761 tonnes from 432,510 tonnes last year.
In the first eleven months of the oil year starting November, the total vegetable oil imports declined 3% on year to 14.3 million tonnes. Palm oil imports decreased sharply to 6.96 million tonnes during Nov-Sept, from 8.17 million tonnes a year ago. Import of soft oils, which include soyoil and sunflower oil, rose to 7.02 million tonnes from 6.37 million tonnes, led by soybean oil purchases.
Soyoil imports during Nov-Sept rose to 4.39 million tonnes from 3.09 million tonnes a year ago. "The share of palm oil sharply decreased to 50% from 56% while soft oils increased to 50% from 44%," the association said.
As of Oct. 1, domestic edible oil stocks at ports stood at 1.03 million tonnes, up from 820,000 tonnes a year earlier, while pipeline stocks fell to 975,000 tonnes from 1.6 million tonnes, the association said.
Meanwhile, kharif oilseed acreage has fallen over 5% to 19 million hectares as of Oct. 3, mainly due to drop in groundnut and soybean cultivation. The association said farmers might have shifted from soybean to maize cultivation. Soybean production across the country is seen falling over 16% on year to 10.54 million tonnes in 2025-26 (Oct-Sept) from 12.58 million tonnes the previous year, according to the Soybean Processors Association of India.
The following table details edible oil imports in September, in tonnes, compared with year-ago levels, with the change in percentage, according to data from the SEA:
|
Edible oil |
September 2025 |
September 2024 |
Change (in %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude palm oil | 824,761 | 432,510 | 91% |
| RBD palmolein | -- | 84,279 | NA |
| Crude soyoil | 503,240 | 384,382 | 31% |
| Crude sunflower oil | 272,386 | 152,803 | 78.2% |
| Total (vegetable oils)* | 1,639,743 | 1,087,489 | 51% |
* Vegetable oils include both edible and non-edible oil imports.
End
Reported by Afra Abubacker
Edited by Ashish Shirke
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