After soybean oil imports, Indian industry expresses concern over sunflower oil from Nepal

Sunflower oil from Nepal making its way into Indian markets, shortly after soybean oil imports into the country’s eastern and northern markets raised deep concern for the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA). Erode, in Tamil Nadu, has become a big centre for Nepalese refined sunflower oil, which is currently trickling down to Chennai as well. “The oil sourced from Nepal penetrating the south Indian markets is way cheaper and impossible to compete with. This will eventually, lead to the closure of small and medium-sized refiners in the area,” said B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of SEA. The SEA has been raising concerns about the massive imports of soybean oil from Nepal of late and the impact on the vegetable oil refining industry of the country. It is now addressing the issue of sunflower oil after one of its members TN Edible Oils Pvt Ltd pointed out that merchants have been buying finished items from Nepal and simply changing the stickers. They have been promoting the ...