Referring to the latest DGFT data, he said India exported 2.09 lakh tonnes (lt) of oilseeds valued at ₹2,618 crore during April-June 2026-27
The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has said that the export pattern of oilseeds for the first quarter of 2026-27 shows a strong concentration around value-added groundnut kernels and sesame seeds.BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said the groundnut exports, particularly shelled kernels, continue to form the backbone of India’s oilseed export trade, while sesame makes a significant contribution to export earnings.Referring to the latest DGFT data, he said India exported 2.09 lakh tonnes (lt) of oilseeds valued at ₹2,618 crore during April-June 2026-27. Groundnut and sesame together accounted for the overwhelming share of exports, both in terms of volume and value.Important export opportunityStating that groundnut remains India’s most important oilseed export opportunity, he said shelled groundnut alone accounted for 1.33 lt valued at ₹1,550 crore during the first quarter of 2026-27.India had exported around 6.63 lt of groundnut valued at ₹6,092 crore during the fiscal 2025-26. Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and the Philippines were some of the major destinations in the last fiscal.“The opportunity is not limited to raw kernels. Greater emphasis can be placed on graded, calibrated, blanched, roasted and processed groundnut products, enabling Indian exporters to move towards higher value segments and build long-term relationships with food manufacturers and retail markets,” Mehta said.India exported 61,248 tonnes of sesame valued ₹945 crore during April-June 2026-27. Relatively high value contribution of sesame makes it an important commodity for export earnings. “There is scope to expand markets for cleaned, machine-sorted, processed and value-added sesame, particularly where buyers demand consistent quality, traceability and food-safety compliance,” he said.Stressing the need to diversify beyond groundnut and sesame, he said mustard, linseed, safflower and other oilseeds currently represent smaller shares of India’s export basket. Developing dedicated overseas markets for these commodities can create additional export opportunities, he said.Soy, sesame almost make up total importsIndia imported 5.80 lt of oilseeds, mainly soybean and sesameseed valued at ₹3,146 crore, during the first quarter of 2026-27.Mehta said the import basket was heavily concentrated in soybean and sesame seeds, which together accounted for approximately 99.25 per cent of total import volume and 99.15 per cent of total import value. India had imported 4.81 lt of various oilseeds valued at ₹3,130 crore in 2025-26.Imports of soybean reached 5.50 lt valued at ₹2,931 crore during April-June 2026-27, representing 96 per cent of total imported quantity and 93 per cent of total import value. This makes soybean overwhelmingly the largest component of India’s oilseed import basket during the period. This is mainly imported from ‘Least Develop Countries’ (LDC) under India-Africa Trade Agreement, at nil duty.Concentrated structureIndia imported 20,728 tonnes of sesame seeds valued at ₹189 crore, contributing 3.57 per cent of total volume and 6.01 per cent of total value. The report lists Korea, Nigeria, Sudan, Brazil, Somalia, UAE, Vietnam and Japan among the exporting countries to India, he said.The April-June 2026-27 import data reflects a highly concentrated Indian oilseed import structure, with soybean accounting for nearly 96 per cent of total import volume. Sesame has a relatively higher share of import value compared to its volume. Sunflower and mustard seeds form only a small part of the overall basket, while several other oilseeds recorded no imports during the quarter, he said.Published on September 11, 2026
