Veg oils import up 21 in August

The industry body also said that import of vegetable oils comprising mainly crude palm oil and refined soya oil in the 2007-08 season till August stood at 47.61 lakh tonnes, against 42.96 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

SEA said the total vegetable oil imported during the ongoing season November to October may touch 60 lakh tonnes, of which 51-52 lakh tonnes will be edible oil, 6.5 lakh tones non-edible oil and 50,000 tonnes vanaspati. In 2006-07 oil year, India imported 55.9 lakh tonnes of vegetable oil.

8220;In view of the lean crushing season, import is likely to maintain at around 5.5 lakh to 6 lakh tonnes per month in the next two months till Kharif oilseeds crop is available for crushing in November 2008,8221; the release said.