Soyabean processors team on Pakistan tour

After a gap of 15 years, a-10 member SOPA (The Soyabean Processors' Association of India) delegation lead by Davish Jain, former chairman, SOPA, and managing director, Prestige Foods Ltd., is visiting Pakistan from today to discuss the possibilities of greater soyameal trade between the two countries.

The delegation has representatives from major soya processing, exporting and trading units from India.

The objectives of the delegation include accelerating growth of soyameal trade between India and Pakistan, to understand and promote the requirement of Indian soybean meal from the buyers and end-users, to explore ways and means to solve the problem of transportation by rail route and to prepare ground for developing additional mode of transportation i.e., by road.

The delegation will have meetings with feed millers and end-users in Lahore and Karachi under the aegis of the Pakistan Poultry Association, to know their requirements mainly of poultry feed.

The cost of soymeal transportation and freight is high if imported from other sources for Pakistani traders. Soybean meal trade between India and Pakistan, which at one time was in excess of 165000 million tonne in 1998-99 came down to a meagre 9,000 tonne. in 2001-02.

The trade between the two countries normally takes place through the Attari-Wagah through rail route. The suspension of rail route between the two countries was the major cause of the fall in the trade in soybean meal between the two countries.

With the easing of the passenger traffic and starting of the rail as well as the air links between the two countries, the trade relations are slated for high growth. The soybean meal trade is also expected to pick up in the coming months.

The delegation would, therefore, propose a "Samjhauta Vyapar Express" to be started between the two countries for carrying goods on the same lines as Samjhauta Express for carrying passenger traffic.

In order to expedite the movement of Indian soybean meal cargo, the railway authorities on the two sides should gear up by making available BCN and BCX wagons in plenty so that there is no hindrance in the movement of cargo through the railway system, which is the only viable means.

Even more promising and economically advantageous prospects of mutual trade would open up if the roads links could be opened. Transportation by truck lorries would substantially bring down the transportation cost & time as well as convenience of trading. The delegation on return would exchange their impressions with the other members. The recommendations of the team would be open to all SOPA members for their future benefits.

The other members of the delegation include Manish Shahra (deputy leader), executive director, M P Glychem Industries Ltd, Suresh Kalra, chairman, Agro Solvent Products Pvt Ltd, Kailash Chandra Garg, director and Ambika Solvex Ltd, Radhey Shyam Vijayvargiya, president, Khaitan Agro, Ashok Agrawal, director, Sanwaria Agro Oils Ltd, Mohit Gupta, director, Gujarat Ambuja Exports Ltd, Hemant Kumar Jain, representative, Sharda Solvent Ltd, Rajendra Manglani of Manglani & Sons and Narain Mohan Narang of K S Intertrade Corporation.