India's rapeseed output to rise 16 percent to 5.8 mln. tons
India is likely to produce 5.8 million tons of rapeseed in 2015/16, up 16 percent from a year ago, thanks to beneficial weather conditions in key producing northern states, the head of the Central Organization for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT) told Reuters on Sunday.
Rapeseed is the main winter-sown oilseed in India and higher production will help the country to limit edible oils imports. The expected increase in output is thanks to favorable weather in northern states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, COOIT President Laxmichand Aggarwal said.
In 2014/15, drought and hailstorms trimmed India's rapeseed output by 23 percent from the previous year to 5 million tons. India, the world's biggest buyer of edible oils, imports mainly palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and soy oil from Argentina and Brazil.
The country's edible oil imports could rise by as much as 11 percent to a record 16 million tons in the 2015/16 marketing year that started on Nov. 1, according to estimates from a Mumbai trade body.