(a) whether the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade has made suggestions
against the use of vegetable oils as bio-fuel;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) whether the domestic production of vegetable oil is inadequate to meet the demand; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to check diversion of vegetable oils
for use as bio-fuel?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a) No, Madam. No suggestion against use of vegetable oil as bio-fuel has been received
from Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade.
(b) In view of (a) above, the question does not arise.
(c) &(d) As per the Fourth Advance estimates released by Ministry of Agriculture on 19.7.2010,
production of oilseeds during 2009-10 has been 249.3 lakh tons. From this, domestic
availability of edible oils is estimated at 79.3 lakh tons only. But the estimated demand
is about 167 lakh tons.Thus, the domestic production of edible oils is inadequate to meet
the demand.
The National Bio-Fuel policy envisages the production of bio-fuel from non-edible oilseeds
cultivated in waste lands.