India to expand soybean acreage amid high prices and weak monsoon outlook

India’s soybean acreage is expected to rise by up to 10% in 2026 after prices surged to a four-year high, significantly above the government’s support price. Additional support for farmers comes from forecasts of below-normal monsoon rainfall linked to El Niño, encouraging a shift away from water-intensive crops such as sugarcane and corn toward soybeans.

In 2025, Indian farmers planted soybeans on around 12 million hectares, and industry representatives expect further expansion in the upcoming season. Higher profitability compared with corn is also prompting farmers to return to soybeans after last year’s decline in planted area.

Soybean is India’s key summer-sown oilseed crop, and higher production could reduce the country’s dependence — as the world’s largest importer of edible oils — on overseas purchases of palm, soybean, and sunflower oils. It may also help stabilize domestic soybean and soymeal prices, which is particularly important for the poultry sector, the largest consumer of soybean meal.

At the same time, analysts stress that monsoon rainfall will remain the decisive factor for yields. With weaker rains expected, soybeans gain an advantage over corn and sugarcane due to their lower water requirements, further supporting the shift toward oilseed cultivation.

Despite expected production growth, India may still import a record 900,000 tonnes of soybeans in 2026 due to earlier supply shortages. However, market participants believe that higher domestic output could gradually reduce edible oil imports and lower the country’s dependence on external suppliers in the long term.

Tags: India, sown area, soybean