Oilseed body urges govt: Don’t extend feed export ban

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has appealed to PM Modi and key ministers to not extend the current ban on exporting De-Oiled Rice Bran (DORB) beyond September 30, 2025. Initially imposed in 2023 to stabilize milk prices, the ban has failed to achieve its goal while devastatively slashing protein feedstock costs by nearly 50%—plunging DORB prices to ₹10,000–₹11,000 per tonne and harming oilseed farmers.

Prices of other feed meals have also steeply declined. The export freeze has left solvent extraction units operating below capacity, many facing closure, and India losing vital export markets. SEA warns that continuing the ban could disrupt economic and agricultural development, hinder ricebran oil production, and undermine India’s international reputation as a reliable supplier.

Industry Insight

The prolonged export ban on DORB, though aimed at supporting dairy prices, appears counterproductive—driving down feedstock values and destabilizing the oilseed-to-dairy value chain. With extraction units struggling and farmers bearing the brunt of price erosion, the restriction risks long-term damage to agri-industrial capacity. As India recovers from pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, maintaining export flows is vital to preserving market confidence, ensuring producer incomes, and preventing structural collapse in allied sectors. A calibrated rollback—rather than extension—could restore equilibrium, revitalize processing lines, safeguard farmer livelihoods, and preserve India’s competitiveness in global feed markets.

Source : Dairynews7x7 Aug 31st 2025 -The new Indian Express