The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha said that India imported 17.44 LMT edible oils from Ukraine and 3.48 LMT edible oils from Russia in 2020-21.

The import of edible oils is under Open General Licence (OGL). The private industry imports the required quantities from abroad. Government has held meetings with private industry/edible oil associations for facilitating imports.    

The Government of India has been implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Food Security Mission- Oilseeds & Oil palm (NFSM-OS&OP) from 2018-19 to augment the availability of vegetable oils and to reduce the import of edible oils by increasing the production and productivity of oilseeds and area expansion of Oil Palm & Tree Borne Oilseeds in the country.

Now, the Government has launched a separate Mission for Oil Palm, which is the National Mission for Edible Oils (Oil Palm)- NMEO (OP) to promote oil palm cultivation for making the country Atmanirbhar in edible oils with special focus on North-Eastern States and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In order to improve the domestic availability and to keep prices of edible oils under control, the Government has been rationalizing the duty structure on edible oils during 2021-22 to reduce the price burden of common man.

In addition, the Department of Food and Public Distribution had imposed stock limits on Edible Oils and Oilseeds w.e.f. 8th October, 2021 for a period up to 31st March, 2022.

Further, an amended Order “The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2022” has been notified w.e.f 03rd February, 2022 specifying the quantities of stock limits of edible oil & oil-seeds, to be implemented by all States/UTs.

This Order has been issued to ensure the smooth availability of edible oils and oil-seeds in the country.