India must lift oilseed yields as 2025-26 output is seen at a record 43.06 million tonnes, SEA chief says

India is expected to harvest a record 43.06 million tonnes of oilseeds in 2025-26, but it will still import about 60% of its edible oil needs, with an import bill of $18–19 billion, the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India said. SEA has called for a National Oilseeds Mission to raise yields and expand the use of alternatives such as cottonseed oil and rice bran oil, and it has submitted rabi price-policy recommendations to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. Weather remains a risk, with monsoon rainfall projected at around 90% of the Long Period Average and August-September seen as critical for oilseed development.