The team took up industry’s key concerns such as DORB (de-oiled rice bran) policy uncertainty, rapeseed exports to China, Nepal-SAFTA imports, among others | Photo Credit: Rajmohan S _12122@Chennai

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has highlighted the potential volatility in the global edible oil sector during its meeting with senior government officials in New Delhi recently.

In his monthly letter to the members of SEA on Monday, Sanjeev Asthana, President of SEA, said the SEA delegation conveyed the current edible oil stocks and supplies situation to Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution, during its meeting with him recently.

Stating that the industry flagged potential volatility ahead, he said the possible impact of El Nino, continued uncertainty around sunflower oil supplies amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Indonesia’s B50 biodiesel programme could alter the global vegetable oil balance. This could increase the strategic importance of soybean and soybean oil in the coming months, he said.

The SEA delegation also met Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, in New Delhi.

The team took up industry’s key concerns such as DORB (de-oiled rice bran) policy uncertainty, rapeseed exports to China, Nepal-SAFTA imports, among others.

He said the SEA delegation also reiterated concerns over uncertainty surrounding DORB exports. Earlier restrictions had forced several processing units to shut down or scale back operations. Stating that policy uncertainty continues to affect investment and capacity revival, he said policy predictability is a necessity for an industry rebuilding supply chains. The team also recommended bringing DORB under a 5 per cent GST framework, which could encourage greater utilisation of rice bran for domestic oil extraction.

He said India’s rapeseed exports to China are emerging as an important opportunity. However, registration with the General Administration of Customs of China remains a bottleneck, with only five Indian exporters currently registered. SEA has taken up the matter with the Union Commerce Ministry, which is expected to engage with Chinese authorities on the issue soon, Asthana said.

On the import of edible oils from Nepal, he said SEA’s concern is not the legitimate trade with Nepal. It is the potential distortion created by the zero-duty differential under SAFTA, particularly in markets such as eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

SEA has suggested canalisation, quotas, a suitable minimum import price and tighter Certificate of Origin safeguards to ensure that preferential tariff benefits are used only for genuinely eligible Nepal-origin products, he said.

Published on September 21, 2026