Soybean production expected to fall by over 2 million tonnes: Industry body

The production of soybean, known as yellow gold' among farmers, is expected to decline in the country by about 2.05 million tonnes this year to 10.536 million tonnes, an industry association has said.

The Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) cited the decrease in soybean acreage and productivity as well as the impact of adverse weather on the crop as reasons for the estimated fall.

SOPA on Thursday released its annual report at the International Soy Conclave 2025 in Indore in the presence of hundreds of representatives of the oilseeds industry.

According to the report, soybean was sown on 11.456 million hectares during the current Kharif season, and its production was 105.36 million tonnes, with an average productivity of 920 kg per hectare.

The industry body said that during the 2024 Kharif season, soybean was sown on 11.832 million hectares in the country, and the production was 12.582 million tonnes, with average productivity of 1,063 kg per hectare.

This year, the soybean crop suffered significant damage due to the weather. Heavy monsoon rains, especially in Rajasthan, reduced soybean production by half, SOPA chairman Davish Jain told PTI.

According to SOPA executive director D N Pathak, the outbreak of yellow mosaic virus also damaged the soybean crop in many places.

Heavy rains destroyed the crop in several districts of Madhya Pradesh, a major producer. Following this, the state government has introduced a price difference payment scheme for this oilseed commodity.

Under this scheme, if traders purchase soybeans from farmers in mandis at prices lower than the centrally declared Minimum Support Price (MSP), the government will pay the difference to farmers.

According to SOPA, India imports more than 60 per cent of its total edible oil needs, which costs approximately ₹1.7 trillion in foreign exchange every year.

To achieve the ambitious goal of self-sufficiency in edible oil, soybean production in the country needs to be increased with the help of improved seeds, the organisation said.

The Centre has fixed the MSP of soybean at Rs 5,328 per quintal for the Kharif marketing season 2025-26. This is Rs 436 more than the MSP of Rs 4,892 per quintal in the previous marketing season.