Lower rapeseed meal shipments dragged oilmeal exports by 6% in April

A drop in the export of rapeseed meal dragged the overall export of oilmeals by 6 per cent in April.

Data compiled by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) showed that the overall export of oilmeals was provisionally reported at 4.65 lakh tonnes (lt) in April 2024 against 4.93 lt in April 2023.

India exported 1.99 lt of soyabean meal in April of 2024-25 against 1.77 lt in the corresponding month a year ago. It exported 2.30 lt of rapeseed meal (2.46lt) and 34,387 tonnes of castorseed (29,477 tonnes). 

BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said India harvested a record crop of soyabean in the kharif season and rape-mustard in the rabi season. This led to higher crushing and increased meal availability, both for domestic consumption and export. 

Soyameal export revival

The total export from November to April (six months) indicates the revival of soyabean export which jumped from 10.4 lt in Nov-April 2022-23 to 16.6 lt in 2023-24, while rapeseed meal is down by nearly 23 per cent, he said.

India could export substantial quantity last year due to price advantage vis-à-vis other origins, he said.

Stating that India usually exports about 5-6 lt of deoiled ricebran mainly to Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian countries and positioning as a reliable supplier in the international market, he said the government prohibited the export of de-oiled ricebran on July 28, 2023, attributing it to the high fodder prices with de-oiled ricebran being a major component till March 31, 2024, and later extended up to July 31, 2024. 

The de-oiled ricebran prices now are at the lower level and likely to go down further with increased availability of DDGS. In view of the above facts and sharp fall in prices of de-oiled ricebran, SEA has appealed  to the government not to extend the prohibition beyond July 31, 2024, he said.