KATHMANDU, Oct 29: The import of cooking oil during festive season is increasing by passing year. Each year Nepal imports cooking oil worth more than Rs 21 billion. Nepal imports different kinds of soya bean, sunflower, olive, palm, coconut, mustard oil during festive season from various countries of the world.
According to the data of Trade and Export Promotion Center (TEPC), Nepal imported cooking oil worth Rs 21.32 billion in the last Fiscal Year.
Nepal doesn't have enough production of cooking oil. Data of TEPC shows that high amount of cooking oil is imported from third country.
Nepal imported cooking oil worth Rs 7.03 billion from Argentina followed by Brazil (Rs 3 billion) and Paraguay (Rs 1 billion). Nepal imported raw soya bean oil worth Rs 12.36 billion from the countries like Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Italy, Netherlands and UK.
Likewise soya bean oil worth Rs 400 million is imported from Malaysia, India and Indonesia. Similarly 33,353 kg olive oil (named virgin olive oil) worth around Rs 100.70 million is imported from the countries like India, China, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Australia in the last FY.
Country imported 59,407 kg jaitun oil worth Rs 30.01 million from Spain, India, Italy and Turkey. Similarly crude palm oil worth Rs 2.85 billion is imported from countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Ukraine and Argentina. Palm oil worth Rs 920.05 million came from countries like China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand and India.
Similarly sunflower oil worth Rs 450.01 million was imported from China, UAE, Malaysia, Russia, Spain and Turkey.
Apart from this coconut oil, crude cotton oil came from China and Malaysia, coconut seed oil from Malaysia, maize corn oil and palm kernel oil from Malaysia and India.
During last year unofficial blockade imposed by India consumer's paid high amount for cooking oil. During that period import of cooking oil from third country was also affected.