December 20, 2025
The month of November was quite sluggish on the oilseed meal export front. During this period, exports of various types of oilseed meals witnessed a sharp decline of 27 per cent compared to October. According to the latest data from the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), the decline in soybean meal exports, mustard meal exports, and castor meal impacted overall exports.
Downward Trend in Oilseed Meal Export Figures
According to the association’s data, India carried out a total of 270,000 tonnes of oilseed meal exports in November, compared to 371,000 tonnes in October. Compared to November of the previous year, when 363,000 tonnes were exported, the figures show a significant drop. In the first eight months of the current financial year (April-November 2025-26), aggregate exports stood at 2.734 million tonnes, which is 0.62 per cent lower than the 2.751 million tonnes exported during the same period of the previous financial year. Different types of oilseed meals exports fluctuated during November.
Soybean meal exports fell from 180,000 tonnes in October to 113,000 tonnes in November. Mustard meal exports declined from 145,000 tonnes in October to 109,000 tonnes. Castor meal exports were 22,496 tonnes in November, compared to 27,589 tonnes in October. Following the government’s lifting of the ban on rice bran exports on October 3rd, 38,257 tonnes were exported to Vietnam and Nepal during October-November.
Strong Demand for Mustard Meal
Amidst the decline in exports, there was some good news from China. According to B.V. Mehta, Executive Director of Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, (SEA), strong demand from China supported mustard meal exports. China imported 644,000 tonnes of mustard meal during April-November 2025-26, compared to only 25,624 tonnes during the same period last year. However, with the season ending, domestic mustard seed crushing has decreased, leading to lower availability of mustard meal and a slowdown in exports. The price of Indian mustard meal in the global market is currently $217 (FOB) per ton, whereas in Hamburg, Germany, it is at $216 per ton.
Demand for Soybean Meal in Europe and Domestic Challenges
According to the report, soybean meal exports saw an increase in October and November due to strong demand from France and Germany. Germany purchased 173,000 tons and France 109,000 tons of Indian soybean meal. Indian soybean meal manufacturers are facing stiff competition from animal feed companies in the domestic market. Domestic companies are prioritising cheaper ethanol production by-products over soybean meal, which has kept domestic demand weak for the past two years.
China Emerges as the Largest Buyer
During April-November, China topped the list of the largest buyers of Indian oilseed meal with 651,000 tons. Similarly, South Korea received 265,000 tons and Bangladesh 305,000 tons. Experts say that with improved trade relations with China and some more Indian companies receiving approval from Chinese regulators, exports could pick up again in the coming months.