Most soyabean expeller plants (SEPs) have increased prices of soyameal between Rs 400 and Rs 600 per tonne to Rs 17,000 and Rs 17,200 as exports of soyameal resumed after the bird flu scare that hit exports in the last three months. | |
| According to sources, about 52.50 lakh tonnes, that is, 79.50 per cent of the total yield of 69.32 lakh tonnes of soyabean, has been sold by farmers in MP, Maharashtra, Rajsthan and other markets from September 2003 till the end of the last week. |
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| Rajesh Agrawal, the chairman of Soyabean Processors' Association of India (SOPA), said out of the total arrivals of 47.50 lakh tonnes of soyabean during October 2003 to February 2004, Madhya Pradesh accounted for 31 lakh tonnes, Maharashtra 12 lakh tonnes, Rajasthan 3.50 lakh tonnes, and other states 1 lakh tonne. |
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| Agrawal added seven lakh tonnes of soyabean had been retained for seed requirement, 14.82 lakh tonnes had been left as surplus stock for marketing, while 36.89 lakh tonnes had been crushed for oil production. |
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| About 10.61 lakh tonnes of soyabean was held by SEPs and stockists. Of the total 30.25 lakh tonnes of soyameal (DOC), about 22 lakh tonnes had been exported through ports, 1.25 lakh tonne by rail or road, 4 lakh tonnes sold in the domestic market and three lakh tonne was held as stock or was in transit. |
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| Market observers expect big farmers to bring in the remaining portion of the soyabean crop only during the off-season. The arrival of soyabean in markets had declined to 20,000-25,000 bags a day, leading SEPs to increase the prices of soyameal. |
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| Meanwhile, soy-oil future prices for March and April 2004 were further down to Rs. 470 and Rs 468 per 10 kilograms, respectively, at the National Board of Trade, Indore. The downward trend was attributed to the change in duty on edible oil imports. |
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