Don't allow imported GM soybean meal for poultry: Soybean Association

New Delhi, April 27 Claiming that import of GM Soybean Meal can ultimately lead to import dependency and an excessive foreign exchange payment situation in near future as happens in crude oil, the Soybean Processors Association of India on Wednesday protested the demand for extension of permission to import it.

"Last year, there was a shortage of soybean and therefore when the original demand was made, we did not interfere. However, this year, there is ample soybean available, there is no need to import cheap GM soybean meal at the cost of farmers' interest," D.N Pathak, executive director of the Soybean Processors Association of India told media persons here.

Soybean meal is the by-product of the extraction of soybean oil.

Noting that the poultry industry has cited high prices of soybean meal in India to again request the government that they should be permitted to import GM soybean meal, Pathak said: "The suggestion for further import of GM soybean meal by some traders and poultry industry will be totally counter-productive. As it is, our crushing of soybean from October 2021 to March 2022 is down to 64 per cent of last year, adding to lesser availability of soybean oil and disparity in crushing."

Soybean season is from October to September of next year. Against the total supply/availability of soybean this year (2021-22) of 124.22 lakh metric tonnes, including this year's production of 118.89 LMT and 1.83 LMT from last year, the expected disposal is 88 LMT for crushing, 13 LMT for sowing, 3 LMT for direct consumption and exports of 0.50 LMT will still leave 19.72 LMT for carrying forward to next year, according to supply and demand data shared by Pathak.

For soybean meal, the total supply availability of 76.65 lakh tonnes while disposals of 74 lakh tonnes include poultry and aqua feed of 56 lakh tonnes, exports 10 lakh tonnes, and food use of 8 lakh tonnes, which would still leave 2.65 lakh tonnes for carrying forward to next year.

The poultry industry has projected a demand of 90 lakh tonnes of soybean meal, which is totally wrong and is not supported by facts, Pathak said.

"It is a complete sham. Poultry industry is controlled by corporates and takes farmers' name for the sake of it. In fact, we are putting up the real farmers' case as cheap imports will mean there are no takers for costly inhouse soybean meal.

"This inflated demand is being given only to make a case for imports. We challenge the poultry industry to contest our data. The actual demand may be even lesser because the poultry industry has reduced the inclusion of soybean meal in their feed," he alleged.

Asked if his Association was protesting the import or specifically GM soybean meal, he said: "We specifically demand that GM soybean meal may not be permitted as it is cheap and will harm our farmers' interest. Non-GM soybean meal is not cheap (so) no one will import it."

Farmers want to sell at higher prices and the poultry industry should accept higher prices of both soybean and soybean meal, the Association said.

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