India’s soybean production falls short of domestic needs despite record output

This week, concerns over India’s soybean and maize supply were raised in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament, highlighting the gap between domestic production and rising demand. The issue was brought up by MP Kaushalendra Kumar (Unstarred Question No. 4369), who inquired about the sufficiency of the country’s production, the possibility of imports from the United States, and the potential impact on Indian farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reported that in 2024-25, India achieved record production levels: 15.18 million tonnes of soybean and 42.28 million tonnes of maize. However, domestic edible oil production, including soybean oil, remains insufficient to meet growing demand. As a result, India relies on imports to cover nearly 55% of its total edible oil requirement.

Over the past decade, soybean production has increased by 46.32% (from 10.37 million tonnes in 2014-15), while maize production has risen by 74.91%, reaching 42.28 million tonnes. Despite these gains, edible oil consumption continues to outpace production, prompting the government to take steps to boost self-sufficiency. Under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds), ₹10,103.38 crore has been allocated to increase oilseed production from 42.6 million tonnes in 2024-25 to a target of 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31.

The government noted that while India has historically been a net exporter of maize, exports in 2024-25 were minimal due to domestic demand pressures. Discussions under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement are ongoing to expand trade and strengthen supply chain integration, keeping national food security and farmers’ interests in focus. Programs like the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) provide farmers with quality seeds, advanced technologies, and access to Minimum Support Prices (MSP) to encourage soybean and maize cultivation.

Tags: corn, soybean, India, edible oils