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India may face disruptions in sunflower oil supplies
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Wednesday, 05 August, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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Ahead of the upcoming festival season, India may face potential disruptions in sunflower oil supplies caused by escalating conflict in the Black Sea region, according to the All-India Edible Oil Traders Federation.
Despite record global production of sunflower seeds this year, escalating military conflicts and attacks targeting Russian ports have rendered key maritime trade routes in the Black Sea unsafe for shipping vessels.
Shankar Thakkar, president of the All-India Edible Oil Traders Federation stated that Russia and Ukraine together account for roughly 63 per cent of total global sunflower oil exports. The ongoing unrest has left dozens of import vessels stranded, leading to delivery delays of up to 60 days for shipments destined for India.
"If attacks persist in the Black Sea, it will inevitably impact edible oil prices in India," Thakkar warned.
He noted that domestic sunflower oil prices have already risen by up to 5% this month, shifting consumer demand toward palm and soybean oils and triggering price increases across other edible oil categories.
The supply crunch comes at a time when India’s edible oil imports have registered a sharp decline.
In June 2026, overall edible oil imports fell by 29 per cent year-on-year to 11.11 lakh tonnes, down from 13.39 lakh tonnes in May 2026. Specifically, palm oil imports dropped by 10.5 per cent to 4.87 lakh tonnes, while soybean oil imports fell by 23 per cent to 3.81 lakh tonnes.
Trade experts highlight that global supply constraints, further compounded by El Nino weather impacts and increased palm oil usage for biofuel production in Indonesia and Malaysia, could push retail edible oil prices higher in the coming months as festive demand peaks.
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