Indian non-GM soymeal opens European doors - exporter

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian soymeal exporters could see sales to the European Union surge to 3 million tonnes in the next three years from a standing start as the 27-nation block seeks more non-GM varieties, a leading exporter said on Tuesday.

As Brazil and Argentina increasingly grow genetically modified soybeans, India has an opportunity to become a leading exporter of non-GM meals made of non-GM soy seeds, said Girish Matlani, managing director of Sonic Biochem, India's biggest exporter of soy products.

Already, Indian exporters have sold about 23,000 tonnes of the animal feed to Europe Union, a new market for them, since the start of the marketing year in October, traders said.

"India may export about 100,000 tonnes of soymeal. In my view, exports will reach 3 million tonnes in the next three years as India will emerge as the main supplier of non-GM soymeal to Europe," Matlani said.

He expected the European Union, which consumes about 30 million tonnes of soymeal annually, would soon turn to India as the main source to meet its demand for 6 million tonnes of the non-GM feedstock.

India is Asia's leading supplier of soymeal, mainly exporting to countries such as Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia. Meals, processed from oilseeds and are primarily used for cattle and poultry feed.

India does not allow commercial cultivation of GM food crops. Adopting a cautious approach, the government earlier this month put off the launch of a GM vegetable, unlike China which has approved rice and corn varieties developed in laboratories.

China is still a big grower of non-GM soybeans.

"Apart from India, only China will be an important grower of non-GM soybean but it has no surplus, unlike India. Rather, China is an importer," Matlani said.

Chinese data showed soybean imports were 4.08 million tonnes in January, down from a record 4.78 million tonnes in December.

Analysts say China would remain the world's biggest buyer of soybeans even if it slowed the flow of cargoes from overseas.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Ratnajyoti Dutta; Editing by John Mair)