Oilseeds Self-Sufficiency and Allocative Efficiency

Oilseeds: Self-Sufficiency and Allocative Efficiency THE article on oilseeds by Ashok Gulali et al (March 30) raises a number of questions.
(1) Looking at Table 1 of the study from a different angle one can say that imports of edible oil during 1976-77 to 1987-88 accounted for about 43 per cent of domestic production on an average as compared to only 3 per cent during the preceding period, i e, 1971-72 to 1975-76. This happened despite the fact that production was up by 13 per cent. In the record crop year of 1983- 84, imports also reached a record level. According to the authors, it was the rising demand that led to massive imports. Or had the imports actually artificially hiked up the demand?