(a) whether the Government have allowed import of Palm Oil from Malaysia and Indonesia at
very low import duty resulting in the record price fall of coconut oil in the recent past in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Union Government have initiated steps to safeguard the interest of the domestic farmers; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ( SHRI V. SREENIVASA PRASAD )
(a) : No, Sir. On the contrary the duty structure has been revised upward effective
from 1.3.2001.
(b): Does not arise.
(c)&(d) : Some of the steps taken to safeguard the interest of the domestic farmers are :-
(i) Use of indigenous oils in the manufacture of vanaspati to at least 25% of the production
on a monthly basis has been made mandatory. Also, higher use of expeller mustard oil in the
manufacture of vanaspati up to 30% has also been allowed. The objective is to incentivise the
farmers in terms of better returns for their produce.
(ii) In order to harmonise the interests of domestic oilseeds growers, consumers and
processors and to regulate large import of edible oils to the extent possible, the duty
structure on edible oils has been revised upward effective from 1.3.2001.