India’s soyabean acreage recovers as July rains boost sowing

Soyabean acreage for Kharif 2026 season has almost caught up with previous year’s levels as sowing of the oilseed crop has increased in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh among others.

As per the latest Agriculture Ministry data, total soyabean acreage as on July 31 stood at 117.68 lakh ha, marginally lower (0.70 per cent) than corresponding last year’s 118.52 lakh ha.. Trade body Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA), which has been monitoring the crop through field surveys has pegged the cropped area at 117.13 lakh ha.

Agri Ministry data showed that soyabean acreage has surpassed last year’s levels in MP, UP, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with farmers preferring to plant the oilseed crop aided by the pick up in July rains, while the area has dropped in states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

In MP, the largest producing states, soyabean acreage stood at 52.09 lakh ha as on July 31, about 2 per cent higher than corresponding last year’s 51.08 lakh ha. Rains in July have helped increase in the area in Gujarat, where soyabean area has risen by around 10 per cent at 2.79 lakh ha (2.54 lakh ha) and in Telangana by 3.80 per cent to 1.48 lakh ha (1.43 lakh ha). In UP and AP, the soyabean area has doubled this year at 0.80 lakh ha and 0.08 lakh ha respectively.

However, in Maharashtra, the area is trailing by 3.84 per cent at 46.56 lakh ha (48.42 lakh ha), Rajasthan by 5.48 per cent at 9.17 lakh ha (9.70 lakh ha) and Karnataka by 3.17 per cent at 4.09 lakh ha (4.22 lakh ha).

“Soybean crop sown during the month of June has now reached the flowering stage in most soybean-growing areas. Overall, the crop condition is normal to good,” said D N Pathak, Executive Director, Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA).

Healthy vegetative growth is being observed in most soybean-growing regions and weed management has been effective through the use of Dora/Kolpa herbicides, resulting in largely weed-free fields. No major insect pest or disease incidence has been reported during field inspections, Pathak added.

Published on August 1, 2026