New Delhi: India's palm oil imports increased by 34.11 per cent year-on-year to 6,84,000 tonnes in April due to fall in global prices, Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said on Tuesday.
Palm oil accounted for 52 per cent of India's total edible oil imports of 13,04,409 tonnes in April, while sunflower and soybean oil imports stood at 6,20,315 tonnes, the trade body said in a statement.
It said total vegetable oil imports, including non-edible oils, rose 26 per cent to 13,18,528 tonnes in April from 10,50,189 tonnes a year ago.
SEA said depressed global prices encouraged more imports of refined, bleached deodorized (RBD) palmolein and crude palm oil (CPO), which fell by about US$100 a tonne last month.
Global soybean oil prices fell by US$40 a tonne, while sunflower oil prices fell by only US$15 a tonne in the last month.
Among palm oils, imports of RBD palmolein increased to 1,24,228 tonnes from 1,12,248 tonnes in the year-ago period.
Shipments of CPO (crude palm oil) increased by 36 per cent to 5,36,248 tonnes from 3,93,856 tonnes, while imports of crude palm kernel oil increased almost 6 times to 23,618 tonnes from 3,990 tonnes.
For soft oils, soybean oil imports increased from 2,62,45 tonnes to 3,85,514 tonnes, although sunflower oil inflows declined from 2,49,12 tonnes to 2,34,801 tonnes.
As of May 1, India had edible oil reserves of 22.45 lakh tonnes, SEA said.
India is the world's largest edible oil importer. Indonesia and Malaysia are major suppliers of RBD palmolein and CPO, while soybean oil is imported from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia, Romania, and Ukraine.
Palm oil accounted for 52 per cent of India's total edible oil imports of 13,04,409 tonnes in April, while sunflower and soybean oil imports stood at 6,20,315 tonnes, the trade body said in a statement.
It said total vegetable oil imports, including non-edible oils, rose 26 per cent to 13,18,528 tonnes in April from 10,50,189 tonnes a year ago.
SEA said depressed global prices encouraged more imports of refined, bleached deodorized (RBD) palmolein and crude palm oil (CPO), which fell by about US$100 a tonne last month.
Global soybean oil prices fell by US$40 a tonne, while sunflower oil prices fell by only US$15 a tonne in the last month.
Among palm oils, imports of RBD palmolein increased to 1,24,228 tonnes from 1,12,248 tonnes in the year-ago period.
Shipments of CPO (crude palm oil) increased by 36 per cent to 5,36,248 tonnes from 3,93,856 tonnes, while imports of crude palm kernel oil increased almost 6 times to 23,618 tonnes from 3,990 tonnes.
For soft oils, soybean oil imports increased from 2,62,45 tonnes to 3,85,514 tonnes, although sunflower oil inflows declined from 2,49,12 tonnes to 2,34,801 tonnes.
As of May 1, India had edible oil reserves of 22.45 lakh tonnes, SEA said.
India is the world's largest edible oil importer. Indonesia and Malaysia are major suppliers of RBD palmolein and CPO, while soybean oil is imported from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia, Romania, and Ukraine.
