Oil meal exports in April almost equal to last year
19-May-2025 03:19 PM
Mumbai. Data compiled by the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), a leading industry body, shows that during April 2025—the first month of the financial year 2025–26—India exported a total of 4,65,863 tonnes of oil meal. This figure is slightly higher than the 4,65,156 tonnes exported in April 2024.
During the month under review, exports of soya de-oiled cake (DOC) rose from 1,99,803 tonnes to 2,30,743 tonnes, and shipments of groundnut extractions increased significantly from 156 tonnes to 3,127 tonnes.
However, exports of mustard oil cake (rapeseed meal) fell from 2,30,810 tonnes to 2,13,023 tonnes, while castor meal exports dropped from 34,387 tonnes to 18,970 tonnes. The export of rice bran extraction remains banned.
According to the association, India produced a large quantity of soybean during the 2024–25 Kharif season, and mustard output was also strong in the Rabi season.
This led to increased crushing activity in oil mills, improving the availability of oil meals. However, due to less price competitiveness in the international market, Indian oil meals have seen a dip in demand from overseas buyers.
During the marketing season from November 2024 to April 2025, soymeal exports declined from 16.58 lakh tonnes to 13.35 lakh tonnes, and rapeseed meal exports slipped slightly from 9.30 lakh tonnes to 9.11 lakh tonnes.
Despite expectations of higher demand for mustard cake in China, its exports fell marginally in April. Similarly, castor meal exports declined from 1.94 lakh tonnes to 1.52 lakh tonnes over the same six-month period.
The imposition of 100% import duty on Canadian canola oil and meal by the Chinese government presents a potential opportunity for India to increase rapeseed meal exports to China.
While rapeseed meal is also imported to China from the European Union, prices are significantly higher there. Although certain strict conditions are currently imposed on Indian rapeseed meal imports to China,
there is hope that these may be relaxed in light of shifting trade dynamics. If that happens, India could gain greater access to the vast Chinese market.