At the conclusion of its two-day Global Roundtable on edible oil, Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) placed two major policy issues for immediate action by the government – curbing refined oil import via Nepal and reinstatement of standardised pack sizes.
IVPA, which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee, said that refined oils from Nepal continue to flood Indian markets in north and north-east India. “This not only undercuts domestic processors and refiners but also suppresses farm-gate prices for oilseeds and contributes to underutilisation of processing capacities,” the trade body said in a statement.
Seeking immediate policy review and enforcement mechanisms, it has suggested the government to canalise such zero duty imports through government agencies like Nafed and other state agencies.
The association has also urged the government to reintroduce standard packs for edible oils. “This move is required to remove potential confusion regarding the prices in the context of plethora of pack options in the markets,” it said.
Discount to continue
In its price outlook session, experts said that palm oil to remain consolidated around current price and discount to soya is likely to continue. But, Indian mustard price rally should cool off soon with the government’s intent to release some stock. Globally, sunflower oil prices might ease as the new crop in Black Sea region, likely to bounce back to normalcy. Given the increasing global mandates for biofuels, it’s imperative that, India should continue the pursuit of higher domestic production at the incentivised minimum support price for oilseeds.
Addressing the event, IVPA’s president Sudhakar Desai said that dependency on imports, the trapeze act of balancing farmers and consumers, zero-duty FTAs, and pricing distortions continue to impact domestic competitiveness. “Imports have declined by approximately 8 per cent over the past six months but are showing signs of recovery with softening international prices. Mustard markets have been firm amid speculation of a lower crop, and there may be a need for a calibrated release of government stocks to moderate this trend,” he noted.
Published on July 25, 2025
