Main Objectives of the Association
- To promote and protect the trade, commerce, manufacturing and exporting, trading and other activities of the solvent extraction industry.
- To encourage and promote the use of solvent extracted oil and their byproducts in India and abroad and with that aim to publicise, propagate and advocate their uses through various publicity media including organising seminars/ conventions.
- To represent and make known members point of view and the interests of the solvent extraction industry as a whole before governmental and quasi-governmental authorities trade or industrial bodies, chambers of commerce, foreign trade and industrial interest and other organisations.
- To establish, promote, operate, maintain, increase and encourage directly or indirect steady and stable expansion of the export of deoiled cakes/meals and for that purpose to carry on such activities and implement such schemes by such methods as may be necessary.
The main purpose of the Association is to foster the development and growth of the solvent extraction industry in particular and overall development of Veg. oil industry in the country in order to increase vegetable oil availability in the country, to make the country self reliance in vegetable oils to meet the growing demands of the large population, with scientific outlook
The Growth of the Association
With the development of Rice bran and Rice bran oil industry in Japan, the Association had a big role in raising India’s Rice bran availability and its extraction facilities. As expelling of Rice bran was not at all viable, the solvent extraction industry grew very fast scattering all over the country. And today, the number of units in the country has grown to 600 with varying installed capacities totaling to 30 million tonnes.
During this period, the shortage of edible oils in the country, led the Association to explore minor oils for industrial uses to release edible oils for edible purposes. The amount of oils in these seeds was so low that only solvent extraction process could extract these oils from such materials. And in the process some minor edible oils like Sal, Mango kernel, having Cocoa butter like properties, were also made available to the world.
The primary aim was to recover maximum amount of oils from the oil bearing materials. However, huge stocks of byproduct namely extractions needed to be gainfully disposed off. Very good quality edible materials rich in proteins were made available for human consumption.
The edible extractions not so good for human consumption found the way to animal and poultry feed. Some were given special detoxification treatments. But our requirements for animal feed is mainly for milk cattle’s, while there is a huge market for animal feed in world over where mutton consumption is high. This led to opening of export market for our extractions.
The solvent extraction industry has to fulfill the mission to provide sufficient oil and protein for the growing population and to raise the per capita availability of the oils and proteins from whatever cultivated vegetable oil seeds and tree borne seeds in the forest. Over the year per capita consumption’s of oils and fats has grown from 4.9 kg in 1960 to 16.5 kg in 2004.
The Association was the canalising body for export of deoiled Rice bran from 1970-71 to 1983-1984 and has been a registering authority thereafter until April 1995 for the Ministry of Commerce for exports of various meals, Rice bran and other extractions, compound cattle feed and poultry feed and minor oils of tree and forest origin.
Association as Export Promoting Body
Presently SEA function as an export promotion body, recognised by Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, for the purpose of export of various oilmeals, compound cattle & poultry feeds & minor oils of tree & forest origin and also for groundnut and castor oil.
Association is presenting awards every year to the highest processors & exporters of the commodities under Associations purview to encourage export.
Association is offering awards and assistance to research institutes and other bodies for innovating technology for modernisation of plant and equipment in this field in turn encouraging industry to work more export oriented.
Association as Information Centre For Members
The Association encourages and secures friendly feeling and unanimity of interests amongst member units. It collects, computerizes and circulates statistical and other information of the oil industry, to the members.
Funds of the Association are being utilised for the development of the oil industry by publishing Handbooks on Solvent extraction industry, Rice bran processing, Reports of foreign trade delegations led by the Association etc.
The Association continuously gives feedback to the members about developments taking place in the country and world over by various circulars, monthly news circulars and through periodical zonal meetings & seminars & through E-Mail & Website.
International Conferences & Exhibitions on Vegetable Oil Sector viz. Globoil India are sponsored by the Association. It is financial autonomous and functions entirely as private sector body. The Managing Committee and its office bearers work relentlessly with the motto to Make The Country Self Sufficient in Vegetable Oils and discharge all its obligation as ‘Trade Promotion Organisation’.
Association’s Role as NGO
The Association is recognised as a ‘Non Government Organisation’ (NGO) by the Government of India and has representation on various bodies/committees set up by the Government of India, including;
- National Oilseeds & Vegetable Oils Development Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
- Expert Group on Oils and Fats set up by Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi
- Science & Technology Advisory Committee (SATC) for Dept. of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
- Technology Mission on Oilseeds, Mini Mission II (PHT) & IV (Procurement Mktg. & Processing of various edible oilseeds/ oils) Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
- Development Panel for Minor Oils of Tree & Forest Origin Ministry of Industry, Government of India.
- Co-ordination Committee on Production of Rice Bran Oil set up by Ministry of Civil Supplies, Government of India.
- Inter Ministerial Committee for National Approach to Promote Non-traditional Oilseeds set up by Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
- Monitoring committees on Thrust Area Set up by Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.
- Various Sectional Committees set up by Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
The Association is associated with the following National & International Bodies/ Associations:
- American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS), USA
- Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA), U.K.
- Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Association Ltd., FOSFA Intl., U.K.
- Canadian Oil Processors Association (COPA), Canada
- National Oilseeds Processors’ Association (NOPA), USA
- American Soybean Association (ASA) USA / Mumbai
- Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), New Delhi
- Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), New Delhi
- The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), New Delhi
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), New Delhi
- Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC), Mumbai
- The Central Organisation for Oil Industry & Trade (COOIT), New Delhi
- Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI), Kanpur
- Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Mumbai
- Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd., Mumbai
- The Bombay Commodity Exchange Ltd., (BCEL), Mumbai
- Prime Commodities Clearing Corporation of India Ltd., Mumbai
The Association is growing from strength to strength reaching new heights with pride and will be contributing in a big way towards the Vegetable Oils & Oilseeds Industry in India in coming years.