Lok Sabha Question No. 292 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Import of Palm Oil
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Rajveer (Raju Bhaiya) Singh

(a)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 292 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  MARCH, 2022

## IMPORT OF PALM OIL

## *292.  SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI RAJVEER SINGH (RAJU BHAIYA):

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India is the world's largest importer of edible oil, i.e., palm oil and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that the majority of the import of palm oil into India is not covered by NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation) policies and if so, the Government's reaction thereto;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  received  several  quality  related  complaints  in  palmolein  imported  from Malaysia and Indonesia and if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon;
- (d) whether it is  difficult  to  establish  a  transparent  supply  trail  of  palm  oil  import  in  India  as  significant proportion of Indian consumers buy the so-called loose palm oil and if so, the Government's reaction thereto;
- (e) the details of the total palm oil imports from Malaysia and Indonesia during each of the last three years; and
- (f) the other steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=h ( Jh ih;w'k xks;y )

THE MINISTER OF  COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

to (f):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a) to (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO. 292    FOR  ANSWER    ON  23 rd   MARCH, 2022     REGARDING ' IMPORT OF PALM OIL'.

- (a): Yes, Sir. India is the largest importer of edible oils i.e., palm oil, in the world. India's Import of edible oils during the last three financial years (FYs) are as under:
- (b) & (c): At present, adherence to NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation) policies is not mandatory for import of palm oil into India. However, both Malaysia and Indonesia, which are the major suppliers of palm oil to India, have certification schemes to promote sustainability in palm oil production. It is mandatory for palm oil  produced  in  Malaysia  to  be  certified  under  the  Malaysian  Sustainable  Palm  Oil  (MSPO).  In  addition, Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification is also gaining importance in Malaysia. Indonesia has also adopted the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) standard to promote sustainability in palm oil production. The  Government  has  not  received  any  quality-related  complaints  in  palmolein  imported  from  Malaysia  and Indonesia.
- (d): As per Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Third Amendment Regulations, 2021 , sale of Multi Source Edible Vegetable Oil is allowed only in containers, marked and labelled in the manner as specified in FSSAI regulations. However, State Governments can exempt any edible oil from these provisions in specific circumstances and for specific period.
- (e) : The details of the total palm oil imports from Malaysia and Indonesia during each of the last three years are at Annexure.
- (f) : In order to reduce dependence on imports, the Government has launched the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with the aim to augment the availability of edible oil in the country by harnessing area  expansion  and  increasing  crude  palm  oil  production.  The  salient  features  of  NMEO-Oil  palm  include assistance for planting material, inputs for intercropping up to gestation period of 4 years and for maintenance, establishment of seed gardens, nurseries, micro irrigation, bore well/pump set/water harvesting structure, vermi compost units, solar pumps, harvesting tools, custom hiring centre cum harvester Groups, farmers and officers training, and for replanting of old oil palm gardens etc.

| YEAR    | QTY (TON)      |
|---------|----------------|
| 2018-19 | 1,50,19,308.54 |
| 2019-20 | 1,47,22,123.78 |
| 2020-21 | 1,35,40,020.94 |

Source: DGCI&S

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Details of India's palm oil imports from Malaysia and Indonesia

| Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million          | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   | Qty in MT; Value in USD Million   |
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| ITCHS                             | DESCRIPTION                              | COUNTRY                           | 2018-19                           | 2018-19                           | 2019-20                           | 2019-20                           | 2020-21                           | 2020-21                           |
| ITCHS                             | DESCRIPTION                              | COUNTRY                           | Qty                               | Val                               | Qty                               | Val                               | Qty                               | Val                               |
| 15132110                          | CRUDE PALM KERNEL OIL                    | INDONESIA                         | 67571                             | 60.32                             | 77868.02                          | 54.71                             | 46919                             | 40.99                             |
| 15132110                          | CRUDE PALM KERNEL OIL                    | MALAYSIA                          | 49426                             | 42.09                             | 62654.54                          | 39.04                             | 59789.58                          | 58.14                             |
| 15132910                          | REFND PALM KERNEL OIL AND ITS FRACTNS    | INDONESIA                         | 2216                              | 2.15                              | 2642                              | 2.04                              | 3944                              | 3.32                              |
| 15132910                          | REFND PALM KERNEL OIL AND ITS FRACTNS    | MALAYSIA                          | 560.4                             | 0.57                              | 839.63                            | 0.71                              | 4175.33                           | 4.56                              |
| 15111000                          | CRUDE PALM OIL AND ITS FRACTNS           | INDONESIA                         | 4156999.7                         | 2341.27                           | 4272207.1                         | 2548.76                           | 4095159.5                         | 3071.91                           |
| 15111000                          | CRUDE PALM OIL AND ITS FRACTNS           | MALAYSIA                          | 1712902.2                         | 1009.41                           | 1488524.5                         | 828.76                            | 2799267.3                         | 2209.12                           |
| 15119010                          | REFINED BLEACHED DEODRSED PALM OIL       | INDONESIA                         | 8984.88                           | 5.67                              | 1493.05                           | 0.8                               | 4838                              | 3.82                              |
| 15119010                          | REFINED BLEACHED DEODRSED PALM OIL       | MALAYSIA                          | 4079.82                           | 2.93                              | 2266.13                           | 1.42                              | -                                 | -                                 |
| 15119020                          | REFINED BLCHD DEODRSED PALMOLEIN         | INDONESIA                         | 1617720.8                         | 985.48                            | 286323.79                         | 183.41                            | 79783.95                          | 56.79                             |
| 15119020                          | REFINED BLCHD DEODRSED PALMOLEIN         | MALAYSIA                          | 696908.87                         | 425.02                            | 1715637.9                         | 966.18                            | 1695.16                           | 1.72                              |
| 15119030                          | REFINED BLEACHED DEODORISED PALM STEARIN | INDONESIA                         | -                                 | -                                 | 76045                             | 43.55                             | 28864                             | 22.02                             |
| 15119030                          | REFINED BLEACHED DEODORISED PALM STEARIN | MALAYSIA                          | -                                 | -                                 | 11067                             | 5.91                              | 2971                              | 2.17                              |
| 15119090                          | OTHER REFINED PALM OIL                   | INDONESIA                         | 51139                             | 31.49                             | 6836                              | 3.66                              | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 15119090                          | OTHER REFINED PALM OIL                   | MALAYSIA                          | 15549.19                          | 10.61                             | 61044.11                          | 31.18                             | 298                               | 0.4                               |
|                                   | TOTAL                                    | INDONESIA                         | 5904631.4                         | 3426.38                           | 4723414.9                         | 2836.93                           | 4259508.4                         | 3198.85                           |
|                                   | TOTAL                                    | MALAYSIA                          | 2479426.5                         | 1490.63                           | 3342033.9                         | 1873.2                            | 2868196.4                         | 2276.12                           |

Source: DGCI&S; Figures for 2021-22 are provisional

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## Annexure