RTRS: Indian oilseeds extend losses on weak demand
MUMBAI, Feb 18 (Reuters) - India's oilseeds and soyoil futures dropped on Thursday, tailing weakness in overseas markets and weighed down by sluggish spot demand due to a drop in meal exports, analysts said.
The March soybean contract NSBH0 on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange ended down 1.87 percent at 2,099.5 rupees per 100 kg, while March soyoil NSOH0 finished 1.05 percent lower at 458.15 rupees per 10 kg.
The rapeseed April contract NRSJ0 closed down 1.39 percent at 476.5 rupees per 20 kg.
"Still, there is no parity between oilseed and meal prices. Demand is very weak from the millers' side," said an analyst at Religare Commodities Ltd.
In Indore, a major spot market in top producer Madhya Pradesh state, soybean price dropped by 29 rupees to 2,132 rupees.
India's January oilmeal exports slumped 32 percent from a year earlier, falling for the third straight month, due to weak demand from Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India said on Feb. 5. See [ID:nSGE61407U]
Malaysian palm oil futures eased on Thursday from five-week highs hit the previous session as traders booked profits on the back of declines in rival crude oil and soyoil markets. See [ID:nSGE61H064]
U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures edged lower on Thursday, falling for a second straight day as large crops and a strong dollar weighed on the grain markets. See [ID:nSGE61H03H]
India's vegetable oil imports fell 1.8 percent in January from a year earlier, as high stocks and rising prices discouraged buying after record shipments last year, when India toppled China as the world's biggest buyer. See [ID:nSGE61E06F]
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Ramya Venugopal)