India's Soybean Production Forecasted to Drop 2.11% in Kharif Season
Despite drought conditions, soybean output is expected to decline slightly, with gains in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan mitigating losses in Maharashtra.
Soybean production in India is projected to decrease by 2.11% to 107.93 lakh tonnes.
Madhya Pradesh's output is expected to rise by 32.2%, offsetting losses in Maharashtra.
The area under soybean cultivation has increased by approximately 5 lakh hectares nationwide.
India's soybean production is anticipated to experience a slight decline of 2.11%, reaching an estimated 107.93 lakh tonnes during the ongoing Kharif season. This forecast comes despite challenging drought-like conditions affecting several regions of the country. The Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) released this information during the closing session of its international soybean conference held in Indore on October 18.
The association's report indicates that while Maharashtra faces significant crop losses due to prolonged dry spells, higher yields in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are expected to largely counterbalance these setbacks. SOPA's executive director, D N Pathak, noted that Madhya Pradesh, being the largest producer of soybean in India, is projected to yield 57.16 lakh tonnes, marking a 32.2% increase from last year's 43.24 lakh tonnes.
The report highlights that the adverse weather conditions have severely impacted soybean crops in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana, where moisture deficiency during critical growth stages led to complete crop failures across 7.02 lakh hectares. In contrast, the area dedicated to soybean cultivation in Madhya Pradesh has expanded to 52.09 lakh hectares, up from 48.64 lakh hectares in the previous season, with an average yield expected to rise to 1,108 kg per hectare.
In Maharashtra, however, soybean production is projected to plummet by 33.2% to 34.88 lakh tonnes. Meanwhile, Rajasthan is expected to see a significant increase of 48.2%, reaching an estimated 9.47 lakh tonnes. The overall area sown with soybean this Kharif season is approximately 117.73 lakh hectares, which is nearly 5% more than the previous year's 112.14 lakh hectares, although drought conditions have affected 7.76 lakh hectares of this area.
Looking ahead, the total soybean production is anticipated to be 107.93 lakh tonnes, slightly down from 110.26 lakh tonnes in the last Kharif season. As the agricultural community navigates these challenges, the focus will remain on adapting to changing climatic conditions and optimizing crop yields in the future.
