Soybean sowing gains pace, acreage seen surpassing last year

Soybean sowing has picked up across the country's key producing states after an initial delay caused by the late arrival of the southwest monsoon, with the industry expecting the total acreage this Kharif season to exceed last year's level. According to the latest estimates by the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA), nearly 90% of the targeted area has already been covered in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, while Maharashtra has completed around 80-90% of sowing.

A release issued by SOPA on Thursday shows that sowing has been completed in 100.31 lakh hectares of land as against the government estimate of 57.92 lakh hectares. SOPA estimates are ahead of the government's official sowing data, which typically lags by seven to ten days because of the reporting process, the release added. The industry body expects soybean sowing to be completed across the country by July 15, provided rainfall remains favourable over the next week.

The delayed onset of the southwest monsoon had pushed back planting this year, raising concerns over acreage in the initial weeks of the season. However, improved rainfall across central India has accelerated field activity, significantly narrowing the gap.


Madhya Pradesh, India's largest soybean-producing state, has received adequate rainfall across most growing regions, enabling farmers to complete nearly 90% of sowing. Rajasthan has also covered about 90% of its targeted area, while Maharashtra has achieved 80-90% coverage. In Maharashtra, around 1-2% of the sown area has been replanted after poor or failed germination in some pockets due to uneven rainfall.

According to SOPA, the crop is currently in the vegetative stage and is in normal to satisfactory condition across the major soybean-growing regions. Farmers have begun weed management operations using herbicides as well as traditional manual methods, depending on local field conditions.

The industry body expects total soybean acreage during Kharif 2026 to exceed last year's level, driven by farmers switching back from maize after attractive soybean prices improved crop economics. A sizeable number of growers who had moved to maize in the previous season have returned to soybean cultivation this year.

SOPA, however, cautioned that while the crop has made a healthy start, the final production outcome will depend on the distribution and adequacy of rainfall during the remaining three months of the growing season. If weather conditions remain supportive, India could harvest a larger soybean crop than last year with better productivity across key producing states.