The Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA) has projected that India’s soyabean production for the 2026 kharif season will decline to 107.93 lakh tonnes. According to The Hindu BusinessLine, this represents a reduction of approximately 2.11 percent compared to the 110.25 lakh tonnes recorded in the previous year. The trade body released these initial crop estimates on Saturday during the International Soya Conclave 2026 held in Indore. The overall yield is expected to remain nearly stable at 981 kilograms per hectare, slightly below the 983 kilograms per hectare recorded last year.
SOPA reported that the sown area for the current season has increased by five percent to 117.73 lakh hectares, although the harvested area is projected at 109.98 lakh hectares. These figures are slightly lower than the 123.16 lakh hectares estimated by the Agriculture Ministry. D N Pathak, Executive Director of SOPA, explained that the production shortfall stems from crop failure on 7.02 lakh hectares and poor grain filling caused by prolonged moisture stress. He noted that the strong gains in northern states are outweighed by sharp losses in other regions.
Madhya Pradesh has experienced a significant rebound in production, with output rising by 32 percent to 57.2 lakh tonnes from 43.2 lakh tonnes in the previous year. This increase allows the state to regain its position as the largest soyabean producer in the country. Rajasthan also recorded strong gains, with production estimated to rise by 48 percent to 9.5 lakh tonnes. Production in Gujarat is seen as flat at 2.4 lakh tonnes, while output in all other states is expected to rise marginally.
Conversely, western and southern states face significant declines due to deficit rains and dry spells. Maharashtra is expected to see a 33 percent drop in production to 34.9 lakh tonnes, down from 52.2 lakh tonnes. Karnataka’s output is projected to fall by 44 percent to 2.1 lakh tonnes, and Telangana’s production is estimated to decrease by 46 percent to 0.7 lakh tonnes. These regional disparities highlight the impact of localized weather conditions on the national aggregate.