Demand to Exclude GM Soybean Meal from Talks with the U.S.
24-Oct-2025 01:16 PM
Indore. The Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA), a leading organization in the domestic oilseeds industry and trade sector, has, in a letter to the Union Commerce Secretary, cited data and circumstances, emphasizing the need to not allow the import of GM soybean meal from the United States under the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
According to SOPA, with an outstanding stock of 3.66 lakh tonnes, potential production of 105.36 lakh tonnes, and estimated imports of 6 lakh tonnes, the total availability of soybean is expected to reach 115.02 lakh tonnes in the 2025-26 season.
Of this, 12 lakh tonnes will be held in reserve for the next sowing season. 50 lakh tonnes will be used directly, and 95 lakh tonnes will be crushed and processed. Thus, a total of 112 lakh tonnes will be utilized, leaving a stock of 3.02 lakh tonnes at the end of the season.
As for soybean meal, the outstanding stock was 1.08 lakh tonnes, while production during the season is expected to be 7.79 million tonnes. This will bring the total availability to 7.898 lakh tonnes. Of this, 8 lakh tonnes is expected to be exported, 8 lakh tonnes for domestic food consumption, and 6.2 lakh tonnes for domestic feed. This could result in a surplus stock of 98,000 tonnes at the end of the season.
The letter sent by SOPA states that there will be a balance between domestic demand and supply, and therefore, there will be no need to import soybean meal from abroad.
If GM soybean meal imports from the United States are allowed, it could prove disastrous for the Indian agriculture sector as a whole, and soybean producers in particular.
The country's soybean producers are already deeply disappointed and frustrated because the price of this important oilseed is well below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Once the import of cheap GM soymeal starts, its supply and availability will increase, causing huge losses to farmers as well as the industry, leaving the goal of self-reliance far behind.