2024, Vol. 9, Special Issue 1

Edible oil is an important source of nutrition for the population. India is the largest edible oil importer in the world. In recent years, there is increasing demand for cold pressed oil in the country especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. There are increasing competition among the local players and national players in the marking of edible oil. In this context, the present study aimed at performance of edible oil processing units in Tamil Nadu. For this study, Western Zone Tamil Nadu was purposively selected and the list of edible oil units unit was collected from the trade associations and industrial centres. About 60 cold pressed edible oil processing units were selected for the study. Investment analysis and regression analysis were used to study the performance of edible oil units. The results of the study showed that the total investment made in the sample units was Rs.2-3 crores and they incurred an average expenditure of Rs.20.60 lakhs per year. The sample units achieved a benefit cost ratio of 1.4-1.6 and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 15-18 per cent. The regression analysis showed that number of years of operation, location of business unit and number of oil produced by the firms were the important factor influencing profitability of cold pressed oil processing industry.