New Delhi, April 8 (PTI): India's soyabean meal exports rose by 20 per cent to 41.96 lakh tonnes during 2006-07 fiscal as compared to 34.94 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period driven by robust demand from the south-east Asian nations, according to the latest data by an industry body.

However, the soyameal export in March declined by more than 20 per cent at 5.65 lakh tonnes against 7.1 lakh tonnes in the corresponding month last year.

"Soyabean meal exports in the last fiscal was highest ever on the back of favourable conditions like availability of soyabean seeds, good crushing and robust export demand," Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) Coordinator Rajesh Agrawal said from Indore.

On the slowdown in exports in March, Agrawal said the soyabean meal prices rose very high in the month, affecting the export demand.

During 2006-07 fiscal, the soyameal export to Vietnam rose by 28 per cent to 8.92 lakh tonnes from 6.97 lakh tonnes while it increased by 31 per cent in case of Indonesia and 79 per cent to Korea.

Soyameal export to Korea rose to 6.82 lakh tonnes from 3.8 lakh tonnes while Indonesia imported 6.56 lakh tonnes from India against 5.01 lakh tonne last year.

Interestingly, according to data compiled by another oil industry chamber Solvent Extractors' Association of India, the export of soyabean meal during last fiscal increased by seven per cent to 36.6 lakh tonnes.

According to SOPA, during the first half of soyabean oil year (October-March 2007), soyameal exports rose marginally to 27.62 lakh tonnes from 27.49 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period the previous year.