India's Q1 oilseed imports exceed all of last fiscal year, soybean takes 96%
India imported 580,119 tonnes of oilseeds worth ₹3,146.98 crore in April-June 2026, more than the 481,000 tonnes brought in across the whole of FY2025-26, according to SEA data compiled from DGFT figures. Soybean accounted for 96% of import volume, with a large share arriving duty-free from least-developed countries under the India-Africa trade arrangement. Exports over the quarter were 209,197 tonnes worth ₹2,618.68 crore, led by shelled groundnut and sesame.
India spent more on oilseed imports than it earned from oilseed exports in the first quarter of fiscal 2026-27, and brought in more tonnage over those three months than in the whole of the previous financial year. The figures were released by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), which compiled them from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) data under the Commerce Ministry, and were reported by Rural Voice.
Between April and June 2026 India imported 580,119 tonnes of oilseeds worth ₹3,146.98 crore (one crore equals 10 million rupees). Exports over the same quarter came to 209,197 tonnes worth ₹2,618.68 crore, leaving the oilseed line of the trade account in deficit in value terms.
Soybean takes 96% of import volume
Soybean dominated the import basket at 550,000 tonnes worth ₹2,931 crore, equal to 96% of imported volume and 93% of imported value. A large part of that soybean came from least-developed countries (LDCs) under the India-Africa trade arrangement, which allows it into the domestic market at zero import duty, according to Rural Voice.
The comparison with the previous year shows how fast the flow has built. In all of FY2025-26 India imported 481,000 tonnes of oilseeds worth ₹3,130 crore. The April-June 2026 quarter alone exceeded that full-year figure on both volume and value.
Sesame, sunflower and mustard fill the rest
Sesame was the second-largest imported oilseed, at 20,728 tonnes worth ₹189 crore, or 3.57% of import volume and 6.01% of import value. SEA lists the main sesame supplying countries as South Korea, Nigeria, Sudan, Brazil, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Japan. Volumes fall away sharply below that:
- Soybean: 550,000 tonnes, ₹2,931 crore
- Sesame: 20,728 tonnes, ₹189 crore
- Sunflower seed: 3,225.73 tonnes
- Mustard seed: 828.70 tonnes
Groundnut and sesame carry export earnings
On the export side, groundnut remained India's leading oilseed shipment. Shelled groundnut exports reached 133,861 tonnes worth ₹1,550 crore in the quarter. For the full FY2025-26, India exported 663,809 tonnes of groundnut worth ₹6,092 crore, with Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and the Philippines among the main markets. Sesame exports of 61,248 tonnes brought in ₹945 crore, and its higher per-unit value keeps it an important source of foreign exchange earnings. The quarter's export lines break down as follows:
- Shelled groundnut: 133,861 tonnes, ₹1,550 crore
- Sesame: 61,248 tonnes, ₹945 crore
- Mustard: 9,067 tonnes, ₹70.22 crore
- Linseed: 2,647.83 tonnes, ₹30.87 crore
- Safflower seed: 1,004.91 tonnes, ₹7.45 crore
SEA presses for a wider export base
Industry specialists cited by Rural Voice argue that moving beyond raw groundnut kernel exports towards processed, graded, blanched and roasted products would open significant room for growth, lifting realisation per unit and raising overall oilseed export earnings.
SEA said groundnut and sesame remain a dependable base for export revenue, but that the export mix needs to broaden. The association called for systematic and durable overseas markets to be developed for other oilseeds such as mustard and linseed, both of which currently contribute only marginal volumes and value to India's oilseed export account.
