New Delhi: Colombia could become an alternative palm oil supplier for India as top producers Indonesia and Malaysia step up biodiesel blending, which threatens to restrict supplies for food use, the edible oil trade body said on Wednesday.

"Colombia, the world's fourth-largest palm oil producer, offers promising opportunities for deeper trade engagement," Angshu Mallick, president of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), said in a statement. Colombia has supplied about 2,00,000 tonnes of palm oil to India in the recent past, Mallick said, adding that the country could help broaden India's sourcing base. India is the world's biggest importer of vegetable oils. SEA plans to send a high-level delegation to Colombia early next year. It also expects to sign a memorandum of understanding with Fedepalma, Colombia's national federation of oil palm growers, to provide a framework for closer engagement.