China, a key buyer of rapeseed meal for animal feed, primarily imports from Canada and the European Union—regions currently facing supply constraints and rising prices

India is looking to reclaim its share in China’s rapeseed meal import market by leveraging its price advantage amid tightening global supplies, the Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA).

Indian rapeseed meal is currently priced at $ 202 per tonne (Ex-Kandla FAS), significantly lower than the international rate of $ 308 per tonne (Ex-Hamburg), creating a strong opportunity for Indian exporters.

To capitalize on this, the SEA has urged the Ministry of Commerce to engage with Chinese authorities to ease import restrictions. At present, only three Indian facilities approved by China’s General Administration of Customs are authorized to export rapeseed meal to the country. China, one of the world’s largest consumers of rapeseed meal for animal feed, primarily imports from Canada and the European Union—regions currently facing supply shortages and elevated prices.

India has a valuable chance to regain its share in China’s rapeseed meal market due to the current supply challenges and rising international prices, the Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) said. The industry body urged China to ease its stringent import conditions on Indian rapeseed meal to seize this opportunity. However, India’s oilmeal export sector faces increasing competition from Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), a by-product of ethanol production, which is becoming a popular protein-rich alternative in animal feed, particularly for cattle and poultry. DDGS is gradually replacing traditional ingredients like soybean meal and rapeseed meal in feed formulations, posing a challenge for India’s oilmeal exports.

SEA highlighted that while India has experienced record soybean and rapeseed-mustard crops this year, boosting crushing and meal availability, export demand remains weak due to discrepancies in the global market. In April 2025, oilmeal exports saw a slight increase, reaching 465,863 tonnes, with rapeseed meal shipments accounting for 213,023 tonnes and soybean meal at 230,743 tonnes. The SEA emphasized that the industry must adapt to changing market dynamics and devise targeted strategies to sustain oilmeal demand, especially in key export markets.