India extends vegetable oil export ban - govt.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government has extended a ban on vegetable oil exports until October 2010, it said in a statement on Friday.

India, the world's biggest vegetable oil importer, banned exports of the cooking medium in early 2008. Vegetable oil exports were halted until the end of the current oil year to October 2009.

The country used to export tiny quantities of only groundnut and coconut oils before the ban was imposed.

Exports of vegetable oils in small consumer packs of up to 5 kg, with the maximum limit of 10,000 tonnes, would be exempt from the ban, the statement said.