The Govt. of India’s import policy on edible oils has drastically affected oilseeds production in the country, and many oil mills are on the verge of closure. There was a shortage of 11 lakh tonnes of edible oil in the country. Recently, the Union Govt. allowed imports of 40 lakh tonnes of edible oil under Open General License (OHL). The huge volume of imports had affected the price of indigenous edible oil. The average price of imported refined sunflower oil was estimated at Rs. 2,600/tonne, and palm oil was selling still cheaper at an average price of Rs. 1,600/tonne. This had badly affected the sales of locally- produced edible oil, as the cost of production was higher than that of imported edible oil. The average price of local edible oil was between Rs. 3,200 and Rs. 3,400 per tonne, and it would come down further if there were further imports of edible oil. This had affected the price of oilseeds, which were now between Rs. 1,100 and Rs.1,150/tonne. Farmers should get, at least, a minimum support price of Rs. 1,700 or Rs. 2,000 per tonne, but the import policy on edible oil had affected the sale of oilseeds in the country. |
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