Soymeal exports may dip 17%

The country's soymeal exports may decline by 14-17 per cent to 35-36 lakh tonnes in the 2006-07 season ending September due to higher domestic demand from poultry industry and lesser availability of seeds for crushing.

"We have exported about 31 lakh tonnes till May and in the remaining four months we expect to export 4-5 lakh tonnes," said Rajesh Agarwal, spokesperson of the Indore-based Soybean Processors' Association of India (SOPA). Soymeal exports stood at 41.83 lakh tonnes in 2005-06. According to SOPA, soymeal exports during May declined by over 45 per cent to 1.21 lakh tonnes against 2.24 lakh tonnes during the same month last year. During October-May 2007, exports stood at 31.15 lakh tonnes compared with 33.41 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.