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India’s oilmeals exports dropped by 4% during April-August 2024-25, reaching 18.68 lakh tonnes (lt), compared to 19.45 lt in the same period of 2023-24. The decline was primarily driven by reduced exports of rapeseed meal (down to 8.84 lt from 11.55 lt) and castor seed meal (down to 1.16 lt from 1.46 lt). Challenges in key markets like Bangladesh impacted shipments. However, soybean meal exports surged by 76%, reaching 8.48 lt, supported by strong demand from Iran and France. Despite the mixed performance, South Korea, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand remain key buyers of Indian oilmeals, though demand fluctuated across these markets during the period.

Key Highlights

# India’s oilmeals export fell by 4% to 18.68 lt in April-August 2024.

# August exports dropped 11% compared to the same period last year.

# Decline in rapeseed and castor seed meal exports impacted overall figures.

# Soybean meal exports surged by 76% due to demand from Iran and France.

# Bangladesh and South Korea remain key importers, despite recent challenges.

India's oilmeals exports experienced a decline of 4% during the first five months of FY 2024-25, exporting 18.68 lakh tonnes (lt) compared to 19.45 lt in the same period last year. This reduction was influenced by a sharp drop in August, with a fall of 11% year-on-year, as India exported only 3.14 lt in August 2024 against 3.54 lt in August 2023.

Price pressures were evident in the rapeseed and castor seed meal segments, which saw significant reductions in export volumes. Rapeseed meal exports dropped to 8.84 lt from 11.55 lt during April-August, largely due to challenges in major import markets like Bangladesh, where the ongoing crisis affected shipments. Similarly, castor seed meal exports also slipped, down to 1.16 lt from 1.46 lt.

In contrast, soybean meal exports surged by 76%, totaling 8.48 lt during April-August 2024, up from 4.81 lt last year. Strong demand from countries like Iran and France drove this growth, with Iran importing 1.14 lt and France 83,603 tonnes of soybean meal.

Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand remain important export markets for India, with varying levels of demand for rapeseed, castor seed, and soybean meals. Despite challenges, India continues to maintain a significant presence in the global oilmeals market.

Finally

India’s oilmeals export showed mixed performance, with soybean meal thriving while rapeseed and castor meal struggled due to market-specific challenges.

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