17/03/2008 (Forbes), Mumbai - India's edible oil imports for the month of February rose to 430,992 tonnes from 150,927 tonnes last year even though prices were highly volatile.

The total import of edible oil for four months of the oil year -- from November 2007 to February 2008 -- rose 40 pct to 1.51 mln tonnes compared to 1.08 mln tonnes last year, the Solvent Extractors Association of India said.

The total four-months imports of vegetable oil -- edible and non-edible -- also rose 40 pct to 1.76 mln tonnes from 1.26 mln tonnes in the previous year, comprising 1.51 tonnes of edible oil and 248,975 tonnes of non-edible oil.

Meanwhile, palm oil imports for four months rose to 71,315 metric tonnes from 23,989 metric tonnes, and the crude palm oil surged 1.26 mln metric tonnes from 807,402, the trade body said in a statement.

The ministry of agriculture estimates the country's 2007-08 oilseeds production to rise to 27.16 mln tonnes compared with 24.29 mln tonnes in the year ago period.