No plan to curb su
Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Tuesday said India, the world’s second largest sugar producer, has no plans to ban sugar exports.
Consumption of sugar and edible oils is falling in India, the world’s largest market, as a shortage of commercial gas cylinders has forced restaurants to scale down operations during the summer holiday season.
Lower consumption could curb India’s imports of edible oils, including palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and soy oil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.
Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) executive director BV Mehta said roadside eateries and restaurants are facing shortage of gas cylinders, reducing their edible oil consumption, adding that India’s edible oil imports in March fell nearly 9% to 1.2 million tonnes from the previous month.
These restaurants serve popular dishes like samosa and chole bhature, which are usually deep fried.
