January 11, 2008

India December soymeal exports down 7 percent at 551,382 tonnes 
 

India's soymeal exports in December totaled 551,382 tonnes, down 7 percent on year, the Soybean Processors Association of India said on Friday (January 11, 2008).

"This fall in exports is due to the non-availability of railway rakes to move the goods to the ports," the trade body said.

Overall exports have already been hurt by around 25 percent in the marketing year that started in October because of severe shortage of railway rakes, congestion and berthing delays in ports, Davish Jain, chairman of the Central Organization of Oil Industry and Trade, said earlier in the week.

Most of India's soymeal exports take place through the western Indian ports of Kandla in Gujarat and Jawaharlal Nehru in Maharashtra.

However, the bulk of the soybean crushing units are located away from the ports, which makes the railways vital for transportation.

For the April-December period, exports totaled 2.02 million tonnes, down 23.46 percent on year, the trade body said.