Palm oil demand from India, China to pick up, analyst says

Palm oil purchases from top buyers India and China are expected to pick up from January to April this year, with stocks ‌set to ⁠decline ⁠over the period, analyst Thomas Mielke told an industry conference on Wednesday.

India's vegetable oils imports are forecast to rise this year but overall demand from China will weaken, Mielke, executive director of ⁠Hamburg-based forecaster ‌Oil World, said.

Global edible oil consumption in the 2025/2026 season ⁠is expected to grow by 7.1 million tons, with production seen expanding 5.3 million tons, Mielke said.


Palm oil production in Indonesia is estimated at 48.8 million tons in 2026, while output in Malaysia is seen ‌at 19.7 million tons, he added.

The Indonesian Palm Oil Association, GAPKI, previously estimated that Jakarta's ⁠crude palm oil production in 2025 would reach a record 51 million tons from 48.16 million tons the previous year. Malaysia saw record output of 20.28 million tons last year.