India is likely to import 61.44 lakh tonne of edible oil in the current fiscal due to shortfall in oilseeds output and consequent low domestic oil production during 2002-03, according to a study by VMA Oilseeds Research and Development Institute (VORDI).Briefing the media, VORDI consultant G. Chandra said that due to the drought, worst in the last 120 years, the oilseeds output during 2002-03 had declined to 158.07 lakh tonne. Out of this, 148.10 lakh tonne would be the marketable surplus from which 39.85 lakh tonne of edible oil can be extracted. Taking into consideration oil extraction from other sources like cotton seeds, copra, rice bran and other non-conventional sources, the total domestic production is likely to be only 58.56 lakh tonne.He said that per capita requirement of edible oil for 10,462 million people is 11.5 grams per day. This means that the total requirement for consumption works out to 120 lakh tonne as against the domestic production of only 58.56 lakh tonne. Hence the remaining shortfall of 61.44 lakh tonne has to be made up by imports. The government estimate has also indicated that the oilseeds output will fall to 154 lakh tonne during 2002-03 from 205 lakh tonne during 2001-02.
