NEW DELHI: Price of packed mustard oil in Delhi has increased by over 30% in the past one year and in Kolkata it has gone up by Rs 27 per litre because of less oilseed production last year due to adverse weather conditions. But the biggest relief for consumers is the low retail prices of palm oil and other edible oils because of sufficient availability in the international market.The data compiled by price monitoring cell of consumer affairs department show that the average price of mustard oil has increased by Rs 10 per litre in the past one year; from Rs 90 to Rs 100 a litre between October 2014 and 2015.Producers of mustard oil claim that the prices would increase in the next few months when the demand usually goes up. “There is no scope of importing mustard oil. The production of mustard oil has been less this year because of crop damage,” one of the major manufacturers said.However, Mustard Research Promotion Consortium (MRPC) said the production in the next season is expected to rise as compared to this year. Spokesperson of the consortium Umesh Vera said, “The production of mustard may increase by 1.5 to two million tonnes. The mustard crop farmers have received good returns this year due to short supply. Moreover, rains in mustard growing regions have been very good this year and the chill during the last few days has increased moisture in the ground for the rabi season. The expectation of getting good returns may encourage farmers to grow more mustard.”Verma said while a section of consumers prefers using mustard oil but when prices go up, people switch to other edible oils. The mustard oil industry claims it has the potential to reduce edible oil imports, if mustard is declared a national crop on the lines of what the Malaysian government has done for palm oil.