Whalesbook
So, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) ne official request bheji hai sarkaar ko. Unka kehna hai ki import costs bahut badh rahi hain aur iska reason hai shipping rates ka badhna, biofuel ki heavy demand aur West Asia mein chal rahi tensions. Lekin mazedaar baat ye hai ki isse domestic oilseed crushing ko bhi fayda ho raha hai.
Ab yeh shipping rates ka kya scene hai? Pehle Argentina se India tak oil lane mein $70-75 lagte the, ab $140-145 lag rahe hain! Russia se $55 ki jagah ab $90-95 lag rahe hain, aur Malaysia/Indonesia se $40 ki jagah $55 lag rahe hain. Matlab, samjho ki nearly double ho gaya hai kharcha! Iske chalte, crude palm oil ka price 20% badh kar $1250/tonne ho gaya hai, soybean oil 17% badh kar $1295/tonne, aur sunflower oil 16% badh kar $1325/tonne ho gaya hai. Kandla mein crude palm oil ka rate bhi 16% badh kar ₹1,341 per 100 kg ho gaya hai. Retail mein bhi dikh raha hai yeh pressure: sunflower oil ₹175.40/kg, soybean oil ₹148.87/kg, aur palm oil ₹134.72/kg.
Yeh sab kyun ho raha hai? Main reason hai biofuel ki demand. Indonesia aur Malaysia jaisi countries biodiesel ki demand badha rahi hain. Aur upar se West Asia mein jo tensions chal rahi hain, usse crude oil bhi mehenga ho raha hai. In sab ka effect global commodity market par pad raha hai, jisse India jaise countries jo bahar se import karte hain, unka kharcha badh raha hai.
Lekin ek interesting twist hai! Yeh jo global prices badhi hain, isse India ki apni oilseed crushing industry ko fayda ho raha hai. Local edible oil prices bhi imported oil ke saath badh rahe hain, isliye mustard ka rate MSP ₹6,200/- per quintal se upar chal raha hai. April 2026 mein toh record 1.6 million tonnes rapeseed-mustard crush hua hai, jisse imported oils ka impact thoda kam ho gaya hai.
Par bhaiyon aur behenon, ghar pe toh mehngai dikh hi rahi hai. India mein average retail prices 7-12% saal-dar-saal badh gaye hain. Soybean oil 8% badh kar ₹159 per litre, mustard oil 12% badh kar ₹189 per litre, aur sunflower oil 8% badh kar ₹187 per litre ho gaya hai. Matlab pocket pe bohot bhari pad raha hai yeh sab, kyunki edible oil toh hamari kitchen ka main ingredient hai. India apni edible oil ki need ka 57% import karta hai, matlab 25-26 million tonnes har saal, mostly Indonesia, Malaysia, Ukraine, Russia, aur Argentina se.
India ka edible oil imports par itna depend karna ek bada risk hai. Pura import bill ₹1.61 lakh crore (USD 18.3 billion) tak pahunch gaya tha 2024-25 mein. Self-sufficiency sirf 44% hai. Global prices mein fluctuations, West Asia conflict aur El Nino jaise climate risks, sab milkar inflation badha rahe hain. India ko jab global prices badhti hain, toh budget par zyada burden padta hai. Plus, abhi ships ki kami aur uncertain shipping routes ki wajah se bhi kharcha aur delays badh rahe hain.
Industry ka andaza hai ki 2025-26 mein domestic edible oil production 9.6 million tonnes tak pahunchega. Fir bhi 16.7 million tonnes import karna padega. Sarkaar ka National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO) ka target hai 2030-31 tak 69.7 million tonnes oilseed production aur 20.2 million tonnes edible oil production. Lekin yeh goals achieve karne ke liye continuous support aur global supply chain risks ko manage karna zaroori hai. PM Modi ne khud kaha hai ki import dependence kam karo aur foreign exchange bachao, taaki self-reliance badhe.