India’s Edible Oil Imports Estimated at 1.29 Million Tonnes in February

19-Mar-2026 02:17 PM

Mumbai: India’s edible oil imports are estimated to have declined by 1.5% in February compared to January, reaching around 1.29 million tonnes, according to a leading trade analyst firm.

Despite the overall drop, imports of palm oil and soybean oil showed an increase during the month, while sunflower oil imports recorded a sharp decline.

The firm reported that palm oil imports rose by 11% month-on-month to 848,000 tonnes in February, while soybean oil imports increased by 7% to 299,000 tonnes. In contrast, sunflower oil imports plunged by 45% to 145,000 tonnes.

During February 2026, India imported approximately 54,300 tonnes of sunflower oil from Russia, 42,000 tonnes from Ukraine, and 15,000 tonnes from Argentina, with the remaining volumes sourced from other countries.

Over the four-month period from November 2025 to February 2026, India’s sunflower oil imports declined by 21% to 911,200 tonnes. However, total edible oil imports during the same period rose by 6% to 5.2 million tonnes.

In the 2024–25 season, sunflower oil exports were recorded at 4.73 million tonnes.