Overview
- The Solvent Extractors Association has formally asked Agriculture, Commerce and Consumer Affairs ministries for temporary coconut oil and copra import relief.
- Wholesale coconut oil prices have climbed from around ₹130 per kilogram to more than ₹400 over the past year.
- Domestic yields have fallen by about 40% over two years following pest infestations and a severe heat spell.
- Soaring costs have led households, particularly in Kerala, to switch to cheaper alternatives like palm and sunflower oil, raising fears of a permanent demand shift.
- The association warns that widespread adulteration is undermining consumer confidence and maintains that added imports, even with duties, would relieve supply stress without harming farmers.