The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has released provisional compiled export data for Indian oilmeals, revealing a substantial decline in shipments for July 2026 as well as the overall four-month period of April–July 2026. Total oilmeal exports for July 2026 dropped by 65 percent, standing at 148,609 tons compared to 422,388 tons during the same month in the previous year. Cumulative shipments for the first four months of the financial year 2026–27 reached 1,105,833 tons, marking a 27 percent contraction from the 1,516,981 tons registered during the corresponding period last year.
The sharp contraction in overall exports was primarily driven by a significant slump in Indian soybean meal exports. In July 2026 alone, soybean meal exports experienced a year-on-year plunge of nearly 90 percent. Indian soybean meal faced pricing challenges in international markets, quoted at approximately US$ 613 per tonne compared to global price benchmarks of around US$ 428 per tonne.
This price disparity made Indian supplies non-competitive against cheaper alternatives from Argentina and Brazil. Strong domestic demand from the poultry and livestock feed sectors further constrained available export surpluses. Additionally, ongoing Red Sea shipping disruptions resulted in longer transit routes, elevated ocean freight costs, and extended delivery times to European and West Asian markets.
Despite the overall downturn, rapeseed meal shipments offered moderate support to the sector, benefiting from sustained demand in key Asian markets. During the April–July 2026 period, China remained the leading buyer of Indian oilmeals, importing 355,482 tons - a 25.32 percent increase compared to 283,648 tons in the previous year. Bangladesh followed as the second-largest destination with imports of 172,852 tons, up 17.18 percent year-on-year. Vietnam also recorded increased intake, purchasing 108,098 tons, representing a growth of 42.42 percent. In contrast, shipments to South Korea and Thailand decreased by 31.30 percent and 43.65 percent, respectively.
Looking ahead, trade performance will depend heavily on domestic price stability, international cost competitiveness, and the resolution of global logistics disruptions affecting key maritime routes.