India experienced a significant increase in palm oil and soy oil imports in June due to the availability of lower prices

India's palm oil imports for June have seen a significant surge of 49 percent from the previous month. This upswing has resulted in the country's highest levels of palm oil imports in the past three months. The reason behind this increase in demand is the significant drop in prices, which have hit their lowest levels in 28 months. The lower prices have encouraged buyers to increase their purchases, resulting in a rise in demand from the world's largest vegetable oil importer. This surge in demand is expected to support Malaysian palm oil futures and top producers Indonesia and Malaysia.

India has experienced the lowest imports of palm oil in the month of May since February 2021. The decrease in imports prompted buyers to shift to cheaper soft oils as palm oil traded at a premium compared to soy and sunflower oil. However, the recent drop in palm oil prices has encouraged buyers to return to palm oil, pushing demand to its highest levels in the last three months. According to palm oil dealers, its imports increased to an estimated sum of 6,55,000 metric tons(mt) in June, whereas it was 4,39,173 mt in May.

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As per S&P Global Commodity Insights, despite the current rise in palm oil demand, India's demand for this commodity is expected to decrease in the second quarter. This is due to the shrinking cost advantage over competing vegetable oils, weak domestic consumption, and inventory buildup. The rising prices of palm oil, coupled with these factors, will likely lead to a drop in demand in the coming months.

On the other hand, soy oil imports in June have surged by 35 percent from the previous month. While palm oil demand is expected to ease in the future, soy oil purchase has continuously grown in the last few months.

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According to Procurement Resource, palm oil purchasing has increased in India due to a drop in prices. As a result, the demand for this commodity reached its highest point in June. However, this demand is predicted to decrease in the second quarter. The soy oil market is also seeing a rise in demand, which is expected to continue to increase.