Marginal increase of 1.8 percent in oil meal exports in April–May

19-Jun-2025 06:06 PM

Mumbai. According to data compiled by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), India exported 7.81 lakh tonnes of oil meal during the first two months of the current financial year (April–May 2025), marking a marginal increase of 1.8 percent compared to 7.67 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.

Soymeal exports saw a notable rise of 4.31 percent, increasing from 3.02 lakh tonnes in May 2024 to 3.15 lakh tonnes in May 2025.

The Executive Director of SEA noted that the demand and consumption of soybean de-oiled cake (DOC) is growing rapidly in African countries due to a rising livestock population.

Soymeal is being exported there for use in the production of compound animal feed, which is a positive development. Major destinations included Kenya and Kuwait.

In the financial year 2024–25, over 8 lakh tonnes of soymeal were exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from where it was further re-exported to countries including Iran.

This trend indicates that West Asia is becoming an increasingly important market for Indian soymeal. However, exports to Southeast Asia have shown some signs of weakening. Meanwhile, European buyers are showing strong interest in Indian soymeal.

Africa is emerging as a key market, and India enjoys a logistical advantage due to its proximity compared to major exporters like Argentina, Brazil, and the USA.

This proximity enables African nations to import soymeal in smaller containerized parcels from India more economically.

Overall, soymeal exports rose to 3.87 lakh tonnes in April–May 2025, compared to 3.44 lakh tonnes during the same period last year.