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Farm produce

Export oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut)

De-oiled meals for animal feed — soybean meal to South-East Asia, rapeseed meal to China, Korea and Bangladesh.

Free to exportHS 2304
HS code
2304
Oil-cake and meal of soybean (2304), groundnut (2305) and other oilseeds such as rapeseed-mustard, cottonseed, sunflower, sesame and castor (2306).
Export policy
Free to export
Export of soybean, groundnut and rapeseed meal is Free under ITC(HS). De-oiled rice bran (2306 90) has had its own notifications since 2023 — check DGFT if you deal in it. Confirm current status on dgft.gov.in.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 1.04 bn
to 69 countries

What is exported

India exported oil cakes and meals worth about US$ 1 billion in 2025-26 under 2304–2306 (TradeStat). China was the largest buyer (mainly rapeseed meal), followed by Bangladesh, Germany, South Korea, Nepal, Thailand, France and Vietnam. Buyers are compound-feed mills for poultry, cattle and fish.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Soybean meal (solvent extracted)High-protein meal for poultry and aquaculture feed.
  • Rapeseed-mustard mealLargest export volume in recent years; China, Korea, Bangladesh and Thailand buy it.
  • Groundnut, castor, cottonseed and sesame mealsCastor meal is not a feed — it is sold as organic fertiliser.

Where it is grown or made

  • Madhya Pradesh and MaharashtraIndore, Ujjain, Dewas; Latur, Nagpur, Akola — soybean plants.
  • Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar PradeshAlwar, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Sri Ganganagar — mustard plants.
  • GujaratSaurashtra and north Gujarat — groundnut, cottonseed and castor; Kandla and Mundra ports.

Season

Soybean meal flows mainly October–March after the kharif crop; mustard meal March–August after the rabi crop.

Export packing

  • 50 kg PP bags in containers; loose bulk in vessels or rail rakes to Bangladesh and Nepal.

Who buys abroad

  • Compound-feed mills for poultry, cattle and aquaculture
  • Feed traders and integrators in East and South-East Asia
  • Organic-fertiliser blenders (castor and neem cake)

The quality buyers ask for

Protein
Minimum protein stated on a given moisture basis (soybean meal is sold in high-protein grades)
Oil, fibre, moisture, sand/silica
Maxima set in the contract
Aflatoxin and Salmonella
EU feed limits (Directive 2002/32/EC) or buyer limits

Certificates

  • SHEFEXIL RCMCRequiredRegistration with the council covering oil cakes.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment after inspection; apply on PQMS.
  • GMP+ / FAMI-QS (feed)Often askedFeed-safety certifications asked for by European feed buyers.
  • ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000Often askedFood-safety management certification; FSSC 22000 is GFSI-recognised and asked for by large buyers.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

A 20-ft container typically carries about 24–26 tonnes in bags; bulk vessels for large lots.

How it travels

Kandla, Mundra and JNPA for sea; rail rakes and trucks to Bangladesh and Nepal.

Storage

Dry, ventilated storage; meal heats and moulds if moisture is high.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Bulk bags and cartons: product and grade, crop year, lot number, net and gross weight, "Product of India", exporter name and the buyer’s shipping marks, matching the invoice and packing list exactly.
Where to get it tested

Search the NABL directory (nabl-india.org) for a laboratory accredited for the exact tests in your contract, or use an independent inspection agency the buyer names; keep the certificate of analysis with each batch number.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • SHEFEXILRCMC from the Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council, which covers oil cakes under DGFT Appendix 2T.shefexil.org ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant produce, applied for online on PQMS. Some markets also want the packhouse or processing unit registered.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Protein, fat (residual oil), fibre, moisture, sand/silica and urease activity (for soybean meal) are the standard contract specifications.
  • Aflatoxin is the big risk in groundnut and cottonseed meal; the EU limit for aflatoxin B1 in feed materials is set in Directive 2002/32/EC.
  • Salmonella testing and plant-registration rules apply for some markets (for example China registers approved Indian plants).
How to start small

Trade containerised meal from a solvent plant in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or Gujarat to a feed mill in Bangladesh, Nepal or Vietnam. Get the plant’s analysis and an independent inspection at stuffing. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27); registrations required by a law still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Selling to China from a plant that is not on China’s registered list — the cargo is refused.
  • Protein shortfall claims: always quote protein "min" on a stated moisture basis.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T, export promotion councils, boards and the products they cover (as on 6 Feb 2023)
  3. APEDA — DGFT notifications for APEDA products
  4. EU — Directive 2002/32/EC on undesirable substances in animal feed
  5. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut) exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 1.04 bn
-8.1% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↓ -22.7%
US$ 1.35 bn → US$ 1.04 bn
Buyer countries
69
Average export price
US$ 0.29
per kg · 3.55 mn tonnes shipped · US$ 0.35 the year before
China: US$ 195 mnBangladesh: US$ 111 mnGermany: US$ 91.1 mnSouth Korea: US$ 80.1 mnNepal: US$ 79.8 mnThailand: US$ 51.4 mnFrance: US$ 50.5 mnVietnam: US$ 47.6 mnKenya: US$ 45.4 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 34.9 mnJapan: US$ 34 mnUnited States of America: US$ 21.3 mnMyanmar: US$ 20.2 mnTaiwan: US$ 19 mnTanzania: US$ 17.4 mnIndonesia: US$ 15.1 mnNetherlands: US$ 14.5 mnCanada: US$ 12.9 mnKuwait: US$ 12.6 mnSri Lanka: US$ 12.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 9 mnCambodia: US$ 8.8 mnBelgium: US$ 7.1 mnBhutan: US$ 6.2 mnChina: US$ 195 mnChinaBangladesh: US$ 111 mnBangladeshGermany: US$ 91.1 mnGermanySouth Korea: US$ 80.1 mnNepal: US$ 79.8 mnNepalThailand: US$ 51.4 mnThailandFrance: US$ 50.5 mnVietnam: US$ 47.6 mnKenya: US$ 45.4 mnKenyaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 34.9 mnJapan: US$ 34 mnUnited States of America: US$ 21.3 mnMyanmar: US$ 20.2 mnTaiwan: US$ 19 mnTanzania: US$ 17.4 mnIndonesia: US$ 15.1 mnNetherlands: US$ 14.5 mnCanada: US$ 12.9 mnKuwait: US$ 12.6 mnSri Lanka: US$ 12.2 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 9 mnCambodia: US$ 8.8 mnBelgium: US$ 7.1 mnBhutan: US$ 6.2 mnIndia
Where Indian oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut) goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 1.59 bn1.6k2020-212021-22: US$ 1.03 bn1.0k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.6 bn1.6k2022-232023-24: US$ 1.71 bn1.7k2023-242024-25: US$ 1.35 bn1.3k2024-252025-26: US$ 1.04 bn1.0k2025-26
India’s oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut) exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2022-23, lowest in 2025-26 — a 31% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 0.36 per kg2021-22: US$ 0.35 per kg2022-23: US$ 0.38 per kg0.382024-25: US$ 0.35 per kg2025-26: US$ 0.29 per kg0.292020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut) · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 1.59 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 1.03 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 1.6 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 1.71 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 1.35 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 1.04 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 1.2 bn (US$ 866 mn – US$ 1.67 bn)1.2k2026-272027-28: US$ 1.16 bn (US$ 805 mn – US$ 1.67 bn)1.2k2027-28
India’s oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut) exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 1.16 bn

Likely range US$ 805 mn to US$ 1.67 bn.

Trend
-3.5% a year
Fit (R²)
0.09 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1ChinaUS$ 195 mn+1,146.2%
2BangladeshUS$ 111 mn-49.1%
3GermanyUS$ 91.1 mn-29.3%
4South KoreaUS$ 80.1 mn-47.7%
5NepalUS$ 79.8 mn-16.8%
6ThailandUS$ 51.4 mn-46.8%
7FranceUS$ 50.5 mn-39.9%
8VietnamUS$ 47.6 mn-16.8%
9KenyaUS$ 45.4 mn-9.2%
10United Arab EmiratesUS$ 34.9 mn-22.2%
11JapanUS$ 34 mn-20.4%
12United States of AmericaUS$ 21.3 mn+23%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. ChinaUS$ 15.6 mn → US$ 195 mn+1,146.2%
  2. CanadaUS$ 5.4 mn → US$ 12.9 mn+140.9%
  3. MyanmarUS$ 9.2 mn → US$ 20.2 mn+119.2%
  4. TanzaniaUS$ 12.7 mn → US$ 17.4 mn+36.9%
  5. United States of AmericaUS$ 17.3 mn → US$ 21.3 mn+23%
  6. IndonesiaUS$ 13.2 mn → US$ 15.1 mn+14.4%

Low demand

  1. UzbekistanUS$ 10.6 mn → US$ 130k-98.8%
  2. Pakistan IrUS$ 10.7 mn → US$ 150k-98.6%
  3. IranUS$ 70.8 mn → US$ 3.5 mn-95.1%
  4. BelgiumUS$ 40.3 mn → US$ 7.1 mn-82.4%
  5. AfghanistanUS$ 27.4 mn → US$ 7.3 mn-73.3%
  6. NetherlandsUS$ 37 mn → US$ 14.5 mn-60.8%
  7. BangladeshUS$ 218 mn → US$ 111 mn-49.1%
  8. South KoreaUS$ 153 mn → US$ 80.1 mn-47.7%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Meal of soyabean,solvent extracted (defatted) variety2304 00 30 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 507 mn-32.3%1.20 mn tonnesUS$ 0.42 per kgwas US$ 0.47
Other residues of rape or colza seeds2306 49 00 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 347 mn-14.9%1.55 mn tonnesUS$ 0.22 per kgwas US$ 0.26
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal of soya bean expeller variety2304 00 10 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 59 mn+59.4%96,268 tonnesUS$ 0.61 per kgwas US$ 0.61
Low erucic acid of rape or colza seeds2306 41 00 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 33.2 mn+380.9%1,39,365 tonnesUS$ 0.24 per kgwas US$ 0.24
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal of castor seeds solvnt extrctd (defatd) varty2306 90 27 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 26.4 mn-10.6%2,57,762 tonnesUS$ 0.10 per kgwas US$ 0.11
Other oil cake/solid resdus2306 90 90 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 25 mn+651.5%1,63,420 tonnesUS$ 0.15 per kgwas US$ 0.22
Other solid residues resulting from of extraction soyabean oil2304 00 90 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 13.4 mn-78.6%26,465 tonnesUS$ 0.51 per kgwas US$ 0.60
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal of mustard seeds expeller variety2306 90 12 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 7.9 mn-69.9%28,090 tonnesUS$ 0.28 per kgwas US$ 0.32
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal of mustard seeds solvent extracted(defatted) variety2306 90 21 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 5.7 mn+6.3%26,282 tonnesUS$ 0.22 per kgwas US$ 0.26
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal of groundnut slvnt extracted varity(defatted)2305 00 20 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 4.9 mn-40.3%20,823 tonnesUS$ 0.24 per kgwas US$ 0.28
Oil-cake of neem seed expeller variety2306 90 18 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 3.2 mn+103.8%3,332 tonnesUS$ 0.96 per kgwas US$ 0.36
Other residues of cotton seed2306 10 90 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 2.4 mn-45.3%6,863 tonnesUS$ 0.34 per kgwas US$ 0.32
Oil cake of soyabean,solvent extracted (defatted) variety2304 00 20 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 1.6 mn-41.1%3,728 tonnesUS$ 0.43 per kgwas US$ 0.44
Oil-cake and oil-cake meal decrticed,solvnt extracted (defatd) varity of cotton seeds2306 10 20 · Oil-cake and other solid residues, whether or not ground or in the form of pellets, resulting from the…US$ 1.5 mn+81.7%3,375 tonnesUS$ 0.44 per kgwas US$ 0.44

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 48.1 bn
2023
India among exporters
#6
of 121 countries
India’s share of world exports
4.2%
US$ 1.86 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 42.4 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1BrazilUS$ 11.5 bn 26%
  2. 2ArgentinaUS$ 7.6 bn 17.2%
  3. 3USAUS$ 5.76 bn 13%
  4. 4CanadaUS$ 2.4 bn 5.4%
  5. 5IndonesiaUS$ 2.26 bn 5.1%
  6. 6IndiaUS$ 1.86 bn 4.2%
  7. 7GermanyUS$ 1.76 bn 4%
  8. 8NetherlandsUS$ 1.52 bn 3.4%
  9. 9UkraineUS$ 1.25 bn 2.8%
  10. 10Bolivia (Plurinational State of)US$ 957 mn 2.2%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1IndonesiaUS$ 3.06 bn 6.4%
  2. 2Viet NamUS$ 2.83 bn 5.9%
  3. 3ChinaUS$ 2.59 bn 5.4%
  4. 4ThailandUS$ 2.01 bn 4.2%
  5. 5FranceUS$ 1.97 bn 4.1%
  6. 6USAUS$ 1.96 bn 4.1%
  7. 7PolandUS$ 1.79 bn 3.7%
  8. 8NetherlandsUS$ 1.73 bn 3.6%
  9. 9PhilippinesUS$ 1.67 bn 3.5%
  10. 10GermanyUS$ 1.65 bn 3.4%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

VietnamUS$ 3.19 bnIndia 7.4% · gap US$ 2.96 bn
IndonesiaUS$ 2.58 bnIndia 0.6% · gap US$ 2.56 bn
ChinaUS$ 2.12 bnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 2.11 bn
FranceUS$ 1.96 bnIndia 3.2% · gap US$ 1.89 bn
NetherlandsUS$ 1.81 bnIndia 1.8% · gap US$ 1.77 bn
United States of AmericaUS$ 1.74 bnIndia 0.6% · gap US$ 1.73 bn
GermanyUS$ 1.64 bnIndia 7% · gap US$ 1.53 bn
SpainUS$ 1.43 bnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 1.43 bn
United KingdomUS$ 1.43 bnIndia 0.8% · gap US$ 1.42 bn
JapanUS$ 1.25 bnIndia 3.2% · gap US$ 1.21 bn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut)

India is a major exporter of oilseed meals, especially rapeseed-mustard meal and soybean meal, mostly to Asian feed industries. Argentina, Brazil and the USA dominate soybean meal; Canada and the EU compete in rapeseed meal. Indian soybean meal is valued by some buyers as non-GM, but often costs more than South American meal. Openings: rapeseed meal for China, Korea and Bangladesh, and specialised meals (de-oiled, organic fertiliser cakes).

  1. 01Register

    Get your IEC and SHEFEXIL RCMC; check whether the destination registers approved plants (for example China).

  2. 02Choose a plant

    Buy from a solvent plant with consistent analysis and, if needed, destination registration.

  3. 03Test and inspect

    Test protein, moisture, aflatoxin and Salmonella; independent inspection at stuffing.

  4. 04Inspection and phytosanitary certificate

    Apply on PQMS; Plant Quarantine inspects the lot (and fumigation or treatment if the importing country requires it) before issuing the certificate.

  5. 05Agree specification, price and payment

    Put grade, tests, packing, Incoterm (FOB or CIF), shipment period and payment (advance, LC or documents against payment) in a written contract. Cover the buyer with ECGC if you give credit.

  6. 06File the shipping bill and ship

    Your customs broker files the shipping bill on ICEGATE with the invoice and packing list. After customs clearance the line issues the bill of lading; get the certificate of origin from the right agency if the buyer needs a trade-agreement rate.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). When the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting oil meals (soybean, rapeseed, groundnut)

Which council issues the RCMC for oil meals?
SHEFEXIL covers oil cakes under DGFT Appendix 2T.
Who buys Indian oil meals?
China, Bangladesh, Germany, South Korea, Nepal, Thailand, France and Vietnam (TradeStat, 2025-26).
Is castor meal a feed?
No — castor meal is toxic to animals and is sold as organic fertiliser.
Which oil meal gets the highest RoDTEP?
Solvent-extracted soybean meal (2304 00 30): 2% of FOB capped at ₹2 per kg.
Do I need an RCMC for a small trial shipment?
Not for a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB since 15 Sep 2026 (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires, such as the Spices Board CRES or Tobacco Board registration, still apply.
Sources (5)
  1. Department of Commerce — TradeStat, India’s exports by commodity and country (2025-26)
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T, export promotion councils, boards and the products they cover (as on 6 Feb 2023)
  3. SHEFEXIL — Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (oil cakes)
  4. EU — Directive 2002/32/EC on undesirable substances in animal feed
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification No. 32, 30 Sep 2024)

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