India Emphasizes Crude over Refined Vegoil

DELHI - May 21/02 - STAT -- India's vegetable oil imports dropped below year earlier levels during April, according to data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association Of India (SEA).

Total imports of crude and refined vegetable oil during April reached 368,019 metric tons (MT), down from the 399,052 MT imported during the same month last year. Cumulative imports since November show a bigger decline, having plunged 26.8% to 1.67 million MT.

All the decline in imports is accounted by reduced purchases of refined oil. RBD Palmolein imports are down a whopping 85% at just 109,461 MT during the first half of the 2001-02 marketing year. However, purchases of crude oil have not increased enough to make up for the change.

Within that category, significant shifts have taken place, reinforcing the fact the country is a price market. Demand for soft oils such as sunflower and canola has withered away in the face of strong price competition from palm, olein and crude degummed soybean oil.

This is reflected in the fact crude sunflower oil imports have plummeted from 252,250 MT between November and April of 2000-01 marketing year to just 1,800 MT so far this season; while imports of olein soared from just 14,250 MT a year ago to 313,932 MT this season.

                 India -- Vegetable Oil Import Summary
                             (metric tons)
                      Nov-Oct     Nov-Oct     Nov-Apr     Nov-Apr         Apr
Refined Oil           1999-00     2000-01        2001        2002        2002
RBD Palmolein       2,213,777   1,516,688     945,865     109,461       2,499
Sunflower
Rapeseed                6,320
Soybean                19,000       7,000                   3,499       3,499
 Total Refined      2,239,097   1,523,688     945,865     112,960       5,998
Crude Oil
Palm                  828,359   1,404,723     758,725     873,577     200,795
Olein                              32,877      14,520     313,932      73,916
Sunflower             573,788     387,761     252,259       1,800
Degummed Soybean      687,379   1,414,937     259,524     367,709      87,310
Canola/Rapeseed       100,569      35,969      35,969       3,500
Cottonseed             64,061      31,450      17,760
Coconut Oil             1,700       2,403       1,403
 Total Crude        2,255,856   3,310,120   1,340,160   1,560,518     362,021
Total Oil           4,494,953   4,833,808   2,286,025   1,673,478     368,019
BASED on data from the Solvent Extractors' Association Of India