Question map
Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?
Explanation
India is the largest importer of palm oil, which is also the lowest priced oil, and palm oil contributes to around 74% of the total edible oils that are imported into the country.[1] Palm oil is now the single largest consumed vegetable oil in India.[1] Palm oil has dominated Indian imports since the last two decades, for its logistical advantages, contractual flexibility, and consumer acceptance.[1]
Given that vegetable oils (particularly palm oil) constitute such a massive proportion of India's edible oil imports and India is the world's largest importer of palm oil, vegetable oils clearly account for the highest import value among agricultural commodities. While India does import spices, fresh fruits, and pulses, none of these categories match the volume and value of vegetable oil imports. The sustained dominance of palm oil imports over two decades, combined with its use for both edible (90%) and industrial purposes, makes vegetable oils the agricultural commodity with the highest import value in the last five years.
Sources- [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 6: Environmental Issues > Consumption of palm oil in India > p. 117
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Trend Analysis' question found in NCERT Geography and the Economic Survey. It rewards observing the 'relative magnitude' of trade items rather than memorizing exact dollar values. If you know India's structural deficits (Energy & Edible Oils), this is a 10-second kill.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Specifically identifies palm oil as dominating India's edible oil imports over decades.
- Quantifies palm oil's large share (~74%) of total edible oil imports, implying edible oils' large import value.
- States India is the largest importer of palm oil and that palm oil is the single largest consumed vegetable oil in India.
- Treats edible oil as a principal import item and poses why India imports edible oil despite agricultural strength.
- Refers to a table of principal import commodities that includes edible oil, indicating its importance in import composition.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Directly inferable from NCERT Class XII (India People & Economy, Ch: International Trade) and Shankar IAS (Environmental Issues).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Composition of Trade' section in Economic Geography or the 'External Sector' chapter in the Economic Survey.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the Rank Order (Value): 1. Top Agri Import: Vegetable Oils > Pulses > Fresh Fruits. 2. Top Agri Export: Marine Products > Rice (Basmati + Non-Basmati) > Spices. 3. Vegetable Oil Source: Palm Oil (Indonesia/Malaysia) > Soybean Oil (Argentina/Brazil) > Sunflower Oil (Ukraine/Russia).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying trade tables, never memorize the numbers. Always convert the data into inequalities (A > B > C). Ask yourself: 'What is the single biggest item we buy?' and 'What is the single biggest item we sell?'
Vegetable (edible) oils constitute the largest agricultural commodity imported into India by value.
High-yield for questions on trade composition, food security and import dependence; links agriculture, international trade and domestic consumption patterns. Knowing this enables answering MCQs and short-answer questions about import priorities and policy responses.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 6: Environmental Issues > Consumption of palm oil in India > p. 117
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: International Trade > Changing Patterns of the Composition of India's Import > p. 88
Palm oil makes up the bulk share of India's edible oil imports and is the most widely imported vegetable oil.
Important for questions on commodity-specific trade dependence, import policy and environmental/strategic implications; connects economy, environment and international relations (supplier countries).
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 6: Environmental Issues > Consumption of palm oil in India > p. 117
India can be a net agricultural exporter in value while still importing high-value/agro-input items like edible oils.
Helps contextualize trade statistics and form balanced answers on trade policy, comparative advantage and food security; useful for mains answers and data interpretation in prelims.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 10: Agriculture - Part I > Green Revolution > p. 303
Since they asked for the highest Import (Veg Oils), the next logical question is the highest Agri Export. While many think it is Basmati Rice, 'Marine Products' often tops the list in value terms, followed closely by Non-Basmati Rice. Also, be ready for the source: Indonesia is our top supplier of Palm Oil.
Apply 'Consumption Volume vs. Production' logic.
[A] Spices: India is the 'Land of Spices' (Net Exporter). Eliminate.
[B] Fresh Fruits: Highly perishable, mostly locally consumed. Eliminate.
[C] Pulses: We are the largest producer; imports are supplementary.
[D] Vegetable Oils: Every Indian household uses oil daily for cooking (high volume), yet we lack oilseed production (Yellow Revolution stagnation). High Demand + Low Supply = Massive Imports.
Link this to GS3 (Agriculture & Food Security): The 'National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)' was launched specifically because of this high import bill. This economic dependency also dictates our IR strategy with Malaysia and Indonesia (Palm Oil Diplomacy).