Agra: The country's mustard meal export is expected to dwindle in 2007-08 (November-October) owing to lower mustard production this season and higher domestic consumption. India had exported about 600,000 tonnes mustard meal in 2006-07, most of it to South-East Asian countries, according to the source. China is the largest buyer of Indian mustard meal.
Industry expects mustard output of about 5 million tonnes this rabi season, much lower than government estimates of about 7 million tonnes.The official said he saw mustard output at about 5.5 million tonnes this year, as against last year's output of 7.4 million tonnes. Lower mustard output will lead to lower meal availability.
Each tonne of mustard produces about 650 kg mustard meal. Considering mustard output of 5.5 million tonnes this year, mustard meal output would be about 3.5 million tonnes. Even though meal availability is not a problem, there will be very little exportable surplus this year in the wake of higher domestic demand, the official said.Mustard meal is used primarily as cattle feed and has started replacing soymeal, which is costlier. Soymeal costs about Rs 16,300 a tonne, while mustard meal is currently about Rs 11,000 in Uttar Pradesh.
Castor oil exports to rise 9.1% Castor oil exports in 2008 are seen rising 9.1 per cent on year to 300,000 tonnes on better global demand for its industrial usage, said the source. Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are the two main states producing castor seed, sown in the monsoon season between August and September and harvested from December.
Exports of around 1,000 tonnes castor oil for China was contracted last week at $1,400 per tonne for delivery at Kandla port. The Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade on Sunday scaled up 2007-2008 (Jul-Jun) castor seed output to 910,000 tn compared with its last year's estimate of 850,000 tonnes. In 2006-07, India's castor seed output stood at 780,000 tonnes.
Harvesting in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh has been completed, while fresh arrivals of castor seed are continuing in the main markets of Gujarat with daily arrivals pegged at 75,000 bags (1 bag = 75 kg each). The arrivals are expected to be around this range till April, Patel said. Castor output in the main producing state of Gujarat is estimated at 700,000 tonnes in 2007-08 against 550,000 tonnes in the previous year. Castor oil and its derivatives have a wide range of industrial use in lubricant, cosmetic and paint industries. Indian traders have already contracted exports of about 25,000-30,000 tonnes groundnut oil and are likely to export another 20,000-25,000 tonnes this year, the official said on the sidelines of a weekend meet organized by Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade here. Exporters contracted most deals for groundnut oil export in November-December at about $1,500-$1,700 a tonne, as nobody expected global edible oil prices to rally to such high levels, the official said. Global crude palm oil prices have risen to record high of over $1,500 a tonne and soyoil prices to about $1,600 a tonne on tight supplies, pushing up prices of other edible oils as well.
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