sunflower oil imports: India’s August sunflower oil imports up 89.6 per cent; Russia, Argentina main suppliers

Earlier than the Russia-Ukraine disaster, 70 per cent of the sunflower oil imported by India used to come back from Ukraine, whereas 20 per cent from Russia. However imports have been severely affected after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in late February this yr.

“Russia and Argentina flip to be main suppliers of sunflower oil to India,” business physique Solvent Extractors Affiliation (SEA) stated in a press release.

In August this yr, India imported about 1,35,000 tonnes of sunflower oil primarily from Russia, and Argentina and a small amount from Turkey, which was 89.6 per cent greater than 71,340 tonnes in the identical month of the earlier yr, it stated.

Of the whole sunflower oil imports, the shipments from Russia elevated to 72,780 tonnes in August this yr, from 28,840 tonnes within the year-ago interval.

Equally, the import of sunflower oil from Argentina elevated to 30,600 tonnes in August this yr from 12,500 tonnes within the year-ago interval. About 14,588 tonnes has been imported from Turkey in August.

Whereas in August 2021, the nation had imported 30,000 tonnes of sunflower oil from Ukraine, the SEA information confirmed.

In keeping with SEA, India’s main imports comprise palm oil and its cargo jumped by 32.64 per cent to 9,94,997 tonnes in August this yr, as in opposition to 7,50,134 tonnes within the year-ago interval.

Amongst palm oil merchandise, the import of RBD palmolein rose 7.84 per cent to 2.02 lakh tonnes in August this yr, from 1.87 lakh tonnes within the year-ago interval.

The import of CPO rose sharply by 42 per cent to 7.82 lakh tonnes from 5.50 lakh tonnes, whereas that of crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) declined to 10200 tonnes from 11,903 tonnes within the stated interval. Amongst comfortable oils, the import of soyabean oil elevated 2.44 lakh tonnes in August this yr, as in opposition to 1.82 lakh tonnes in the identical interval of the earlier yr.

Sunflower oil too falls underneath the comfortable oil class.

The nation’s whole vegetable oil imports additionally elevated by 33 per cent to 14,01,233 tonnes in August this yr, in comparison with 10,53,810 tonnes within the year-ago interval.

In keeping with the SEA, import of RBD palmolein remained greater than the final yr’s stage primarily because of the excessive export levy on crude palm oil (CPO) and decrease responsibility on RBD Palmolein which favoured Indonesian exporters to low cost RBD Palmolein to push its export. RBD palmolein constitutes 12 per cent of whole India’s import of edible oils, which was simply two per cent final yr, it stated.

Additionally, the falling worldwide costs of edible oils within the final 4 months favoured India which relies on imports of edible oils to fulfill a lot of its home demand, it added.

The SEA stated edible oils inventory as of September 1 this yr, was estimated to have been at 6.11 lakh tonnes and about 18.25 lakh tonnes had been within the pipeline.

India imports palm oil primarily from Indonesia and Malaysia, and a small amount of crude comfortable oil, together with soyabean oil from Argentina.