Demand for soybeans and soybean meal to grow in China

China’s soybean demand is projected to increase in MY 2025/26 amid a slight decline in production and an increase in imports, according to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report.

In the March 19 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report, FAS forecasts that China’s total domestic soybean consumption in 2025-26 will be 124.4 million tons, up from 122 million tons in 2024/25. Soybean production in 2025/26 is forecast at 101 million tons, up 2% from the previous year’s projected 99 million tons, as feed demand gradually recovers.

China’s feed consumption of soybean meal will increase slightly to 101.8 million tons in 2025/26. Despite slowing economic growth and a shrinking population, rising demand for animal protein and consolidation in the livestock sector will continue to boost demand for plant-based feed protein, FAS notes.

“Chinese consumer demand continues to shift from pork to poultry and seafood, which has slowed soybean meal demand growth,” FAS said. – At the same time, due to biofuels policies and weather conditions, reduced exports of sunflower, rapeseed and palm oils have led to higher edible oil prices, resulting in greater reliance on soybean processing for soybean oil in the Chinese market.”

China is expected to import 106 million tons of soybeans in 2025-26, up 2% from 2024/25.

China’s soybean production in MY 2025/26 is expected to be 19.8 million tons, down slightly from 19.9 million tons in the previous marketing year, FAS said.

China’s rapeseed production is forecast at 15.9 million tons in 2025-26, up slightly from 15.8 million tons in 2024/25. Total domestic consumption in 2025-26 is forecast at 20.2 million tons, while processing is projected to reach 19.7 million tons, up from 19.6 million tons year-on-year.

Rapeseed meal production is projected at 11.8 million tons in 2025-26, up from 11.38 million tons last year. Total domestic consumption is forecast at 13.2 million tons, up from 13.47 million tons a year earlier.

Tags: China, soybean, soybean meal