Palm oil imports during the month of November 2009 also witnessed negative growth of 19.94 percent as compared to the imports of October 2009. Imports of the commodity during November were recorded at $97.059 million as against the imports of $121.236 during October 2009. However, as compared to the imports of $93.823 million recorded during the same month of last financial year, palm oil imports during November 2009 increased by 3.45 percent. On the other hand, the imports of soyabean oil during July- November (2009-10) registered negative growth of 76.06 percent when compared to the imports of corresponding period of last year. Soyabean imports were recorded at $3.001 million during the time under review as against the imports of $13.429 million recorded during July-November 2008-09, the figures revealed. Pakistan has achieved import substitution to the tune of $ 233 million in edible oil as a result of increase in production of oilseed crops. The statistics have shown that the country spent approximately $ 470.544 million on the import of soybean and palm oil that is 19.90 per cent less than the same period of previous year. The domestic production of edible oil in the country is hardly meeting 30-40 % of the total requirements.The source attributed this to a substantial increase in the output of non-traditional oilseed crops including sunflower, canola, soybean, etc.The conventional oilseeds include rapeseed/mustard, groundnut, linseed, castor seed, sesamum, while the non-conventional are canola, sunflower, soybean and safflower. Cotton, though a fibre crop is an important source of edible oil in Pakistan. Corn also yields edible oil as a by-product. Oil palm, olive, jojoba and salicornia are new edible oil bearing crops, cultivation of which have been taken up recently in Pakistan.Despite the fact that Pakistan is overwhelmingly an agrarian economy, it is unable to produce edible oil sufficient for domestic requirements and substantial amount of foreign exchange is spent on the exchange on the import of soybean and palm oil. The total requirement of edible oil, which is estimated at 1.55 million tons, the domestic production of various types of edible oil is around 620,000 tons annually and therefore the shortfall of about 930,000 tons is met through imports of palm oil and soybean.Cottonseed is the major domestic source of edible oil, with rapeseed, mustard and canola occupying the second place. The part production from sesamum and groundnut is consumed as raw with no oil extracted. Canola, rapeseed, a mustard and safflower are Rabi oil seed crops, while sunflower, soybean, groundwater, sesamum and castor belong to Kharif, which are used as per requirements. Amongst the oilseeds, sunflower has gained higher popularity and acreage, among the new oilseed crops introduced for boosting edible oil production. The important features of this crop are short growing period, with high yield potential and wide range of growing season viz. autumn, spring and winter. It fits well in different cropping patterns, low irrigation water requirement, wide adaptability to soil and moisture conditions. Its seed contains high oil (over 40 %) of good edible quality and meal of good quality, free from toxic compounds, only three irrigations are necessary. Quality of edible oil depends on the presence of fatty acids, and higher the level of unsaturated fats, better the nutritional quality: Saturated fat percentage content of cottonseed is 27, coconut 91, canola 8, safflower 10, sunflower 12, olive/soybean 15 and corn 13. Rapeseed and mustard contain high levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates, which are undesirable for health. The national consumption of edible oils is around 1.95 million tons, of which about 70 % is met through imports. Import bill of edible oils is second to petroleum and petro-products Annual per capita consumption of edible oil and ghee in Pakistan is about 14 kg compared to about 3 kg in European countries. The contribution of local oilseeds in total edible oil consumption, according to 1999-2000 is around 30 per cent. Of this, contribution of cotton is around 70 per cent, sunflower 13 per cent, rapeseed/mustard 11 per cent and canola 5 per cent. The oil content of some of important oil crops in per cent are as: cotton (18-24), canola (40-48), corn (4-5), coconut (64-70), groundnut (40-55) castor/linseed (30-40), jojoba (50) wax, olive (20-30), oil palm (22-26), safflower (30-32), sunflower (30- 48), soybean (18-22), sesamum (50-60), salicornia (30-32), rapeseed/mustard (32-38).The comparative yields of seed cotton a goo.d source of edible oil in some of the countries are in kg/ha: Pakistan (1,531), India (690), Iran (2,004), Developing countries Asia (1,496), developing countries — world (1,411), Laos-highest yield (5,882). Pakistan has booked 10,000 tons of palm oil .
