Soymeal exports slump amid lower production

India's soymeal exports declined sharply in May as lower soybean arrivals and reduced crushing activity affected domestic production, according to data released by the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA).

Soymeal exports fell nearly 64% year-on-year to 50,000 tonnes in May from 1.37 lakh tonnes a year earlier. During the first eight months of the 2025-26 oil year (October-September), exports dropped over 40% to 8.72 lakh tonnes compared with 14.6 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

The decline came alongside weaker production. Soymeal output stood at 6.31 lakh tonnes in May, down from 7.10 lakh tonnes a year ago. Cumulative production during October-May fell to 57.6 lakh tonnes from 62.3 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

Soybean arrivals across the country declined 16% year-on-year to 5 lakh tonnes in May, while crushing activity fell to 8 lakh tonnes from 9 lakh tonnes. During October-May, soybean arrivals dropped to 72.5 lakh tonnes from 83.5 lakh tonnes a year earlier, while crushing declined 8% to 73 lakh tonnes.

SOPA estimates India's soybean production for 2025-26 at 1.10 crore tonnes, lower than  1.29 crore tonnes last year.  The association expects soymeal exports for the full year to decline to 11 lakh tonnes from 20 lakh tonnes in the previous season. 

Soymeal, a key ingredient in poultry and livestock feed, continues to face export pressure from cheaper alternatives such as distiller's dried grains with solubles, despite its strong protein content and non-genetically modified status. —Agencies