New Delhi: Cheap selling of imported edible oils has increased the pressure on the country's oil-oilseeds market. Last week, the prices of soybean oil-oilseeds, crude palm oil (CPO) and palmolein oil continued to fall due to selling below cost by importers. Weakness in imported oils also affected the sentiment in the domestic market and a slight decline was recorded in the prices of mustard oil.
On the other hand, due to cheap imported oil, the demand for groundnut oil and oilseeds remained weak and its prices remained stable. There was no significant change in the prices of mustard oilseeds. There was pressure in the market due to reduced sales by farmers at low prices and consumption of mustard oil being affected at high prices.
Imported oil cheaper than indigenous oils by ₹ 22-28 per kg
According to market sources, imported edible oils are cheaper than indigenous edible oils by about ₹22 to ₹28 per kg. This huge difference in prices is affecting the demand for domestic oils.
Sources said importers are forced to sell oil below cost. According to him, many importers have loans from public sector banks and it is necessary to show profits in business to continue the Letter of Credit (LC) in the banking system. In such a situation, it is feared that the impact of selling below the cost will fall on the farmers and government banks in the future.
Highest pressure in soybean and palm oil
Due to selling below the cost, the prices of soybean oil-oilseeds, CPO and palmolein oil weakened last week. Mustard oil also suffered minor losses as business sentiment was affected by the decline in imported oils.
In case of mustard, the market situation is different. When oil mills reduce the prices of mustard, farmers reduce the sale of their produce. At the same time, consumption of mustard oil becomes difficult at high prices. For this reason, balancing prices in the market remains challenging.
Peanut prices stable, pressure on cheap imports
Demand for groundnut oil and oilseeds was affected due to low prices of imported oils. Despite this, the prices of groundnut oil and oilseeds remained stable last week.
According to market sources, the production of groundnut has increased due to good price. Its stock is also available with the farmers and the government. Due to better prices, the area under sowing of groundnut has increased even in those states where earlier its cultivation was not much prevalent.
Cottonseed oil prices rise
In the week under review, cottonseed oil was the major oil which registered a rise. Due to increased demand from branded companies and less availability, the price of cottonseed oil increased by ₹ 200 and closed at ₹ 17,100 per quintal.
The oil and oilseeds market remained closed on Saturday on the occasion of 15th August. There was also a minor change in the import duty price over the weekend.
Prices of major oils and oilseeds
- Mustard seeds: 8,300-8,350 per quintal — stable
- Mustard Oil Dadri: 25 fell to 16,750 per quintal
- Mustard Pakki Ghani: 5 fell to Rs 2,725-2,825 per 15 kg tin.
- Mustard raw ghani: 5 fell to Rs 2,725-2,875 per 15 kg tin.
- Soybean grain: 400 fall to 6,900-6,950 per quintal
- Soybean Loose: 400 fall to 6,750-6,850 per quintal
- Soybean Oil Delhi: 50 fell to 15,675 per quintal
- Soybean Indore Oil: 50 fell to ₹15,525 per quintal
- Soybean Degum Oil: 100 fell to 12,000 per quintal
- Groundnut Oilseeds: 7,350-7,925 per quintal — stable
- Groundnut Oil Gujarat: Rs 17,000 per quintal – stable
- Peanut Solvent Refined: Rs 2,680-2,980 per 15 kg tin — stable
- CPO Oil: 100 fell to 13,700 per quintal
- Palmolein Delhi: 75 fell to 15,575 per quintal
- Palmolein x Kandla: 75 fell to 14,325 per quintal
- cottonseed oil: Rs 200 increased to Rs 17,100 per quintal
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