IAS Current Affairs

Agricultural Imports in India: Key Trends

IAS Current Affairs

Agricultural Imports in India: Trends and Challenges

Recent Development Source: Indian Express 
GS II: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing

Originally Published : 29 May 2024
Last updated                : July 2026
Update Note                 : Revised with recent developments, updated facts and additional infographics for easier understanding.
What’s New                  : Updated facts and analysis, along with additional infographics for easier understanding.

Overview

  1. News in Brief
  2. What are Agricultural Imports?
  3. Major Agricultural Commodities Imported by India
  4. Why Does India Import Agricultural Products?
  5. Government Measures to Reduce Imports

Why in the News?

The current fiscal year could see even these records broken, thanks to El Nino. The impact of this climate phenomenon – an abnormal warming of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador, associated with dry weather across India, Southeast Asia and Australia – is already being felt.

News in Brief
  • Rainfall for the country as a whole in June was 38% below the normal long-period average for the month.
  • While July so far has registered a lower 9.9% shortfall, the cumulative deficiency for the four-month southwest monsoon season (June-September) as on July 19 is still at 23.8%.
  • In 2025-26 (April-March), India imported a record 16.9 million tonnes (mt) of vegetable oils and 1.1 mt of raw cotton, valued at $19.5 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively.
  • Further, it imported nearly 6 mt of pulses the highest after 2024-25 and 2016-17 worth $3.6 billion.
What are Agricultural Imports?
  • Agricultural imports refer to farm products, food commodities and agricultural raw materials purchased by a country from foreign producers.
  • A country may import agricultural products even when it produces the same commodity domestically.
  • Imports may be required because domestic production is insufficient, demand is rising rapidly, a particular variety is unavailable locally or imported products are cheaper.
  • India’s agricultural import policy attempts to balance three objectives:
    • Protecting the interests of farmers
    • Ensuring affordable food for consumers
    • Maintaining national food security
Major Agricultural Commodities Imported by India

Edible Oils

  • Edible oils are the most significant source of India’s agricultural import dependence.
  • Major imported edible oils include:
    • Palm oil
    • Soybean oil
    • Sunflower oil
  • India imports palm oil mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia, while soybean and sunflower oils are sourced from countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.
  • The import dependence arises because domestic oilseed production has not increased at the same pace as the demand for cooking oil.
  • Rising incomes, changing food habits, urbanisation and expansion of the processed-food industry have increased edible-oil consumption.

India imported around 15.75 million tonnes of vegetable oils in 2022–23. The quantity remained high in subsequent years, demonstrating the structural gap between domestic production and consumption.

Pulses

  • India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses. However, domestic supply periodically falls short of demand.
  • Major imported pulses include:
    • Tur or pigeon pea
    • Urad or black gram
    • Masur or lentil
    • Yellow peas
    • Chickpeas

India imported approximately 4.74 million tonnes of pulses during 2023–24, compared with about 2.50 million tonnes in 2022–23.

  • Pulses are an important source of protein, particularly for India’s vegetarian population.
  • Production is vulnerable to irregular rainfall because a large share of pulse cultivation occurs in rain-fed areas.

Fresh Fruits

  • India imports fruits that are either not produced domestically in sufficient quantities or are demanded as premium and seasonal products.
  • Important fruit imports include:
    • Apples
    • Almonds
    • Walnuts
    • Dates
    • Kiwifruit
    • Avocados
    • Pears
  • Apples are imported from countries such as Iran, Türkiye, the United States, Italy and New Zealand. Almonds and walnuts are largely sourced from the United States and other major producing countries.

Rising household incomes, modern retail networks and changing consumer preferences have increased the demand for imported fruits.

Spices and Plantation Products

  • Although India is a major producer and exporter of spices, it imports certain spices and plantation commodities to meet processing and domestic requirements.
  • These may include:
    • Areca nut
    • Cashew nuts
    • Black pepper
    • Cinnamon
    • Cloves
    • Coffee varieties
    • Cocoa products
  • Raw cashew nuts are imported for processing in Indian factories and subsequently sold in domestic and international markets.

Cotton and Natural Rubber

  • India imports specific varieties of cotton required by textile manufacturers, especially extra-long-staple cotton used in high-quality fabrics.
  • Natural rubber is also imported when domestic production is insufficient to meet demand from tyre, automobile and manufacturing industries.
  • These imports illustrate that agricultural trade supports not only food consumption but also industrial production.
Why Does India Import Agricultural Products?

Gap Between Demand and Supply

  • India’s population, rising incomes and changing consumption patterns have increased demand for edible oils, pulses, fruits, dairy products and processed food.
  • Domestic production has not kept pace with demand in some commodities, creating the need for imports.

Dependence on Rain-Fed Agriculture

  • Pulses and oilseeds are frequently grown in dryland and rain-fed regions.
  • Irregular monsoons, droughts and unseasonal rainfall can reduce production and increase import requirements.
  • Climate change may make agricultural production more uncertain by increasing the frequency of heatwaves, floods and rainfall variability.

Changing Consumption Patterns

  • Indian diets are becoming more diversified. Consumers are demanding greater quantities of fruits, vegetable oils, proteins, processed food and premium agricultural products.
  • This transition from cereal-dominated diets creates demand for commodities that domestic agriculture may not immediately supply in adequate quantities.

Low Productivity

  • The productivity of several Indian crops remains below the levels achieved by leading producing countries.
  • Low productivity may result from:
    • Limited irrigation
    • Small and fragmented landholdings
    • Poor-quality seeds
    • Inadequate mechanisation
    • Soil degradation
    • Weak extension services
    • Climate-related risks
  • In oilseeds and pulses, low yields are an important reason for the domestic supply gap.
Government Measures to reduce Import

National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm

  • The National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm seeks to increase oil-palm cultivation and domestic crude palm-oil production.
  • The mission aims to expand oil-palm cultivation while providing planting material, price assurance and technical support to farmers.
  • However, expansion must consider water availability, biodiversity and suitability of local ecosystems.

National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds

  • The government is implementing the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds to improve the production and productivity of crops such as mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower and sesame.
  • The programme promotes improved seeds, demonstrations, farmer training and better agricultural technologies.

National Food Security and Nutrition Mission

  • The pulses component of the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission is implemented across states and Union Territories to improve pulse production.
  • Support includes:
    • Improved seed varieties
    • Demonstration of modern practices
    • Integrated pest management
    • Farm machinery
    • Efficient water management

The government has identified vegetable oils, pulses, fresh fruits and spices as major imported agricultural commodities.

PM-AASHA

  • The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan supports farmers through procurement and price-support mechanisms.
  • Under the Price Support Scheme, notified pulses, oilseeds and copra of prescribed quality may be procured at the Minimum Support Price through designated agencies.
  • Effective procurement can encourage farmers to shift towards pulses and oilseeds.

Buffer Stocks and Price Stabilisation

  • The government maintains buffer stocks of certain pulses and releases them when market prices rise.
  • The Price Stabilisation Fund supports procurement and market intervention to control excessive price volatility.
Key Takeaways
Agricultural Imports in India: Key Trends upsc exam
Click the image to enlarge for better readability
Significance for UPSC

The topic is relevant to:

  • General Studies Paper II: Government policies, food security and welfare interventions.
  • General Studies Paper III: Indian agriculture, cropping patterns, agricultural marketing, food processing, buffer stocks, Minimum Support Price, liberalisation and external trade.

UPSC Mains Practice QuestionDespite being a major agricultural producer, India remains dependent on imports of edible oils and pulses. Examine the reasons for this dependence and suggest measures to strengthen domestic self-reliance.

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