India’s Oilmeals Export Faces Significant Drop

India’s export of oil meals experienced a sharp decline of 21 per cent in value during the 2024-25 financial year, according to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA). The total value fell to Rs 12,171 crore from Rs 15,368 crore in FY24, with export volumes also dropping by 11 per cent to 43.42 lakh tonnes from 48.85 lakh tonnes the previous year.

Key Factors Behind the Decline

The slump was primarily attributed to reduced shipments of rapeseed meal and castorseed meal. B V Mehta, executive director of SEA, highlighted that lower demand and reduced offtake in major importing countries significantly impacted the overall performance.

Top Importers and Their Trends

Despite ongoing political turbulence, Bangladesh emerged as the top importer of Indian oilmeals, purchasing 7.42 lakh tonnes in FY25, though this marked a 17 per cent fall from the previous year. South Korea and Thailand followed, with their imports decreasing by 16 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.

Global Market Dynamics

The SEA noted that while India continues to play a key role in the global oilmeals market, evolving demand patterns and regional disruptions have heavily influenced this year's export figures.