The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) will hold its 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 29, with oilseed acreage, domestic productivity, edible oil supplies, global risks and key trade and policy issues expected to figure prominently. The AGM will bring together industry representatives, policymakers and experts to assess the outlook for India’s oilseed and edible oil sector.
According to SEA President Sanjeev Asthana, total oilseed acreage stood at 193.90 lakh hectares as of September 11, 2026, marginally below 194.07 lakh hectares a year earlier and also lower than the final 2025 acreage of 196.38 lakh hectares. The association said acreage trends would remain important for assessing domestic availability of oilseeds and vegetable oils in the coming months.
SEA has highlighted the need to improve domestic oilseed productivity amid India’s structural dependence on imported edible oils. It said higher acreage needs to be supported by better seeds, agronomic practices, soil health, irrigation, resource efficiency and improved farmer returns.
As part of its field-level initiatives, SEA, in partnership with Solidaridad, established the National Alliance for Regenerative Vegetable Oil Sector. Its Regenerative Mustard Model Farm Programme covered 3,000 front-line demonstration plots in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, where yield improvements of around 20-30% were reported.
During the current kharif season, the programme was expanded with 500 groundnut and soybean model farms across more than 139 villages in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. SEA plans to establish more than 3,000 mustard model farms during the coming rabi season to promote improved agronomic practices and higher productivity at lower cost.
The association has also raised several policy concerns with senior government officials in New Delhi. These include Nepal-South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) imports, uncertainty over de-oiled rice bran (DORB) exports, rapeseed exports to China, GACC registration, GST, port logistics, packaging standards, free trade agreements and the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oilseeds (NMEO-OS).
SEA said India currently has comfortable edible oil stocks and supplies but warned of possible global volatility from El Niño, uncertainty over sunflower oil supplies amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Indonesia’s B50 biodiesel programme.
The association also raised concerns over port waiting times, which had increased demurrage and import costs. It said discussions with the Food Secretary resulted in efforts toward priority berthing, and the waiting period has now declined to three-four days.
On Nepal, SEA said around 6 lakh tonnes of refined oils were exported to India between November 2025 and August 2026, including 5.32 lakh tonnes of refined soybean oil. It has proposed measures including canalisation, quotas, a suitable Minimum Import Price and stronger Certificate of Origin safeguards.
SEA is also pursuing greater access for Indian rapeseed in China, where GACC registration remains a constraint. Only five Indian exporters are currently registered, according to the association.