The Centre holds meeting with all stakeholders to confer about the approaches and means to make sure that the edible oil is available at reasonable prices in the nation. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has made a press release about the soaring prices of cooking oil. States and business must take all the steps possible to subside the prices of the edible oil.
First of its kind meeting was held to talk about ways and means to tackle the issue of atypical increment in the cost of edible oil. Attendees of the event include- Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, producers of edible oil seeds, millers, stockists, wholesalers, several associations of the edible oil industry sector, senior officials of States such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The meeting was led and chaired by the Department of Food & Public Distribution, GOI. The goal of the meeting was to make collaborative efforts thus ensuring the availability of edible oils at reasonable prices.
Sharing his views on the occasion, Secretary Food & Public Distribution stated that it was important to understand the issues that are contributing to price rise and discuss the same with all the stakeholders so those appropriate strategies can be formulated to address the issue of edible oil prices. It may be noted that the production and domestic availability of oilseeds in India is falls way short of the needs of domestic demand for edible oil. A big volume of edible oil is imported each year. Alterations in international prices of edible oil influence the domestic price of edible oil in the nation.
The need to hold the meeting was also felt since the Centre got worried about more than a proportionate increment in the prices of edible oil in India as compared with the spike in international prices of edible oil during the last few months.
Secretary Food & Public Distribution declared that mission “Atmanirbhar Bharat” necessitates the country to be self-sufficient in edible oils. The dependency of almost 60% on imports is not appropriate to the growth of the edible oil industry in India. There is a need to strike a balance between short-term measures to keep prices.in check and long-term measure of keeping India Atmanirbhar in Edible oil production”.
In the meeting, it was thought that there was indeed a necessity to strike a balance between measures to keep a check on high prices and measures to make India Atmanirbhar in the segment of Edible oil production.
Secretary appealed that all the States and stakeholders from the side of the business must take all possible steps to soften the prices.
He further mentioned that suggestions presented in the meeting would help in arriving at wholesome solutions to address the issue instability of edible oil prices and domestic growth oilseeds sector. He asked the participants to mail the suggestions and other inputs as the Centre makes efforts to ensure the availability of Edible oils at reasonable prices.
Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufacturers (FSNM) has also given its suggestions to the ministry and has displayed a great concern regarding the abnormal upsurge in the price of cooking oil.