India's oilmeal exports demonstrated robust growth in May 2026, with shipments reaching 373,907 tons compared to 315,326 tons in May 2025, according to data released by the Solvent Extractors Association of India. This represents a 19% year-on-year increase in export volumes during the month. The strong performance in May helped offset earlier challenges that had impacted the sector's start to the fiscal year.
Despite the positive May performance, overall oilmeal exports during the first two months of financial year 2026-27 (April-May 2026) totaled 739,467 tons, down 5.34% from 781,189 tons during the same period in the previous year. As reported by the Solvent Extractors Association of India, this decline reflects the challenging conditions that affected the sector's initial months of the fiscal year.
The positive momentum in May helped counter the slow start to the fiscal year, which saw April 2026 oil meal shipments drop 21.5% due to lingering Red Sea shipping disruptions and high freight costs. According to the association's data, these external factors had significantly impacted the sector's performance in the opening months of the financial year, making May's strong showing particularly significant for overall fiscal year projections.
