Imports of edible oils, pulses also rise

Imports of both, edible oils and pulses grew significantly (by 15.5 and 26.21 per cent, respectively) in 2012-13 year-on-year, as India struggled with flat production and rising demand in these two food items.

While imports of edible oils crossed $10 billion in 2012-13 from $9.7 billion, those of pulses were still comparatively less. India imported $2.33 billion of pulses last financial year compared with $1.85 in 2011-12. Analysts blamed the pricing policy of the government in favour of rice and wheat, which do not factor the changing consumption pattern.

Oilseed production dropped almost 8.25 per cent to 29.79 million tonnes in 2011-12 (November-October) because of low kharif harvest on account of uneven rains.

In 2012-13 too, oilseed production is expected to be only marginally better than last year also because of poor rains in the main growing regions of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is estimated to be around 30.7 million tonnes.

Going forward, experts said domestic oilseed production is falling woefully short of edible oil demand, which would continue to rise further aggravating supply-demand mismatch in the coming years. "India every year needs an additional seven to eight lakh tonnes of edible oils, for which oilseed production has to increase by at least five million tonnes, unthinkable given that India's domestic oilseeds production has stagnated at around 28-32 million tonnes," said executive director of Solvent Extractors Association of India, B V Mehta.