The government said on Friday that India's edible oil imports would be higher this year on account of drought, but the shortfall could be bridged at the existing rate of import duty and a cut in tariff was unwarranted.
"The kharif oilseeds output will be 25 per cent lower than the initial projections, soyabean productivity has been hit, groundnut crop position is bad. Edible oil imports will be much more than the 4.4 million tonne last season," Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh said in New Delhi.
Inaugurating a conference on edible oil technology, he said even in the rabi season, mustard sowing is bad with only 50 per cent of normal area having been brought under cultivation in Rajasthan.
"Nevertheless, we can import as much edible oil as we want at the existing rate of tariffs and at present there is a no proposal before the government to cut import duty on the commodity," he said.
To a query on the likely quantum by which edible oil imports will increase, he said calculation can be made based on the projected 25 per cent fall in oilseeds output to 9.9 million tonne in the kharif season.
Head of the technology mission on oilseeds, pulses and maize, S K Batra said that the average oil recovery from oilseeds is 30 per cent.
He said based on the likely demand for 22.8-29.4 million tonne edible oils by 2014-15, India would have to produce 76-98 million tonne oilseeds against the present 20 million tonne.
The minister said to ensure remunerative prices for oilseeds farmers, high tariff should be maintained and cheap imports avoided.
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