-


  (Adds rapeseed meal exports, background on soymeal exports)


  NEW DELHI (Dow Jones)--Prices of India's soymeal exports have climbed about
10% since late last year, with the commodity fetching a premium globally ahead
of a new crop from rival South American producers Brazil and Argentina, a top
industry official said late Sunday.

  Prices are now ranging between $420 and $440 a metric ton, Davish Jain,
president of the Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade, told Dow
Jones Newswires on the sidelines of an industry conference.

  "The volume won't be too large, but it will be good money for the exporters,"
Jain said.

  However, he said monthly soymeal export volumes are likely to drop by 50%
starting in April to an average of 175,000 metric tons a month because fresh
global supplies are expected from next month.

  India exports soymeal to Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and
China. Soymeal exports in fiscal 2008-09, which ends in March, are estimated at
4 million tons compared with actual exports a year earlier of 3.9 million tons.


  Rapeseed Meal Exports To Increase


  India's rapeseed meal exports will likely rise to about 1 million tons in
2009-10 as the rapeseed crop is expected to increase.

  Exports weakened in 2008-09 due to a sharp fall in production, Jain said.
India shipped out 757,860 tons of rapeseed meal from April-February compared
with 796,702 tons a year earlier.

  India's rapeseed production is expected to rise to 6.6 million metric tons in
the crop year ending Oct. 31 from 4.6 million tons last year because of
favorable weather conditions in the largest producing state of Rajasthan.

  Export contracts of rapeseed meal are being signed at about $335/ton
free-on-board, Jain said, which is about $30/ton higher than global prices.