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Our Bureau

Chennai , June 21

SOYAMEAL exports from the country are projected to touch 40 lakh tonnes during the next oil year (November 2004-October 2005).

Based on the feedback and information received at the start of the sowing season, Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA) expects soyabean crop to be 80 lakh tonnes during kharif 2004, out of which Madhya Pradesh alone is expecting a crop of about 47 lakh tonnes.

Encouraged by the excellent prices during last year, farmers have brought in more area under soyabean, said Mr Rajesh Agrawal, Chairman, SOPA.

Considering the size of the expected crop, soya processing was likely to continue at a brisk pace during the coming season. This would call for help from various Government departments, said Mr Agrawalsaid in a press release.

As the processing of soyabean is through solvent extraction process using hexane, adequate supply of the chemical should be ensured, he said. Processing of 70 lakh tonnes of soyabean would require about 350 lakh litres of hexane during the coming season. Hexane is supplied by the public sector oil companies.

SOPA, therefore, has written to the Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas as well as the three oil companies to make available adequate quantity of the chemical to meet the demands of the processing industry.

The next requirement is that of good quality coal. SOPA has also written to the Union Minister for Coal and Mines and Coal India Ltd informing its requirement of about 7-8 lakh tonnes of coal for processing. If the industry is to export 40 lakh tonnes of soyameal during the coming season, this calls for gearing up of infrastructure by both the Central and Western Railways, Mr Agarwal said. The country would not only earn foreign exchange worth about Rs 4,000 crore, but also save foreign exchange worth Rs 4,500 crore by way of contribution of import substitution to the domestic edible oil pool, the release claimed.

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