Edible oil imports
Topic: India's International Trade and Tourism · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 8 "International Trade"
Meaning
India is the world's largest importer of edible oils (cooking oils). This is because oilseeds in India grow mostly on rainfed drylands, where yields are low. Home production cannot meet demand, so the gap is filled by imports. In 2021-22 edible oil imports were worth ₹1.42 lakh crore. National Missions on Edible Oils (oil palm in 2021, oilseeds in 2024) aim to reduce these imports (verify current).
Example
India buys palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, soybean oil from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine.
Don't confuse with
- Foodgrain imports: India imported large amounts of foodgrain in the 1950s and 1960s, but this ended after the Green Revolution. Edible oil imports are still large today.