NEW DELHI, Nov 3: India’s edible oil imports may rise 5.2 per cent in 2011-12, reversing the fall in the previous year, according to a Reuters survey in September.

“The initial planting trend does not hint at higher rapeseed output in 2012,” said Jyoti Kanda, president of the Oil Millers and Traders Association in North Rajasthan.

India imports almost half of its 16 million tons or so annual domestic demand of cooking oils — mainly palm oil — from Malaysia and Indonesia and a small quantity of soyoil from Brazil and Argentina.

The country has imported 7.8 million tons of vegetable oils so far in 2011 — adding to inflation which is over 12 per cent currently.—Reuters