Edible oils import up Rs 900 cr in FY08

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Even as India's total import of sensitive items in fiscal 2007-08 remained almost static at Rs 28,664 crore as compared to Rs 28,508 crore in the previous fiscal, its edible oil imports went up by over Rs 900 crore in the year goneby.

As against half a per cent increase in the total import bill of sensitive items, edible oils import increased from Rs 10,086 crore to Rs 10,990 crore, government data released today said.

It attributed the increase in edible oil import to 21 per cent spurt in import of crude palm oil and its fractions.

The import of both crude oil as well as refined oil went by 9.5 per cent and five per cent respectively in FY08, the data released by Commerce and Industry Ministry said.

The import of sensitive items, however, constituted just 3.4 per cent of the gross import of all commodities at Rs 94,9134 in 2007-08 as against three per cent of Rs 8,40,506 crore in 2006-07.

Broadly, imports of food grains and milk and milk products declined, while those of edible oil, fruits and vegetables (including nuts), cotton and silk, automobiles, products of SSI, rubber, spices, alcoholic beverages, marble and granite and tea and coffee increased in the last financial year.

Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, Canada, China, the US, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Germany, Tanzania, Thailand, Japan, the UK and Nepal went up, while those from Argentina, Myanmar, Russia, Cote D' Ivoire, Malaysia, Australia and Ukraine decreased, the data added.

UNI SAA SR RAI1300