India’s oilmeal exports remained nearly unchanged in the first half of FY2025-26, despite a sharp 40% rise in September shipments. According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), exports stood at 20.93 lakh tonnes (lt) during April–September 2025-26, marginally higher than 20.82 lt a year earlier — an increase of just 0.5%.
In September alone, exports touched 2.99 lt, up from 2.13 lt in September 2024, driven by higher shipments of soybean, rapeseed, groundnut, and castorseed meals. However, soybean meal exports for the six-month period fell to 8.39 lt from 9.08 lt last year, pressured by global price competition and increased availability of DDGS in the feed market, which has reduced domestic demand.
Groundnut meal exports surged nearly threefold to 15,967 tonnes, supported by increased groundnut production. SEA’s survey indicated that Gujarat’s groundnut acreage rose to 22.02 lakh hectares this kharif season, with output expected at 46.07 lt.
Among key buyers, China emerged as the top importer with 4.95 lt, followed by South Korea (2.32 lt) and Bangladesh (2.12 lt). Europe also showed steady demand, with Germany and France importing 1.43 lt and 56,959 tonnes of soybean meal, respectively.
SEA welcomed the government’s recent decision to lift the ban on de-oiled ricebran exports from October 3, noting that it will support the rice milling and solvent extraction industries, improve returns for farmers, and enhance ricebran oil processing.
