Veg Oil Import may Rise 6 pc to 92 Lakh Tonne in 2011-12.

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) India''s vegetable oil imports could rise by up to six per cent in the marketing year that started this month to meet the rising domestic demand, an industry body has said.

The country''s vegetable oils import (comprising edible and non-edible oils) fell to 86.7 lakh tonnes in the 2010-11 oil marketing year (November-October) from 92.4 lakh tonnes in the previous year.

"During the current year, a good kharif crop and expected normal rabi crop would help to meet partially, the incremental demand of 7 to 8 lakh tonnes.

"Based on this, the expected total imports during the current oil year 2011-12 would be more or less the same as that of 2009-10, which is about 90 to 92 lakh tonnes," Solvent Extractors'' Association President Sushil Goenka said in a statement.

He stressed on increasing the availability of vegetable oils from domestic resources by encouraging diversification of land from food grains to oilseeds and increasing productivity of oilseeds.

At about 1,000 kg per hectares, Indian oilseed yields are about half of the world''s average and less than one-third of leading producers, Goenka pointed out.

"The production of oilseeds is characterised by low yields and hovering around 270-280 lakh tonnes only. The oilseeds are grown mainly on marginal and sub-marginal lands under low input usage.

"Moreover, less than 25 per cent of the oilseed area is irrigated, rendering cultivation vulnerable to weather-related yield risk. This has resulted in slow growth in oilseed production and continued low yields," he observed.

Source : news.in.msn.com