Maize Gains Priority as Soybean and Cotton Acreage Shrinks

25-Jul-2025 05:12 PM

New Delhi. Soybean and cotton acreage has reduced due to Indian farmers' special emphasis on maize cultivation during the current Kharif season. Due to the fall in the price of soybean and cotton below the minimum support price (MSP), farmers did not get attractive income and hence their interest in its cultivation decreased. On the other hand, the price of maize remained at a high level.

The sowing phase of Kharif crops is moving towards the final stage. At the national level, till July 21, its total production area increased to 708.31 lakh hectares, which was about 28 lakh hectares more than the sowing area of 680.38 lakh hectares during the same period last year.

Under this, the production area of maize increased from 61.73 lakh hectares to 71.21 lakh hectares, but the sowing area of soybean decreased from 118.96 lakh hectares to 111.67 lakh hectares and the area of cotton fell from 102.05 lakh hectares to 98.55 lakh hectares.

Although government agencies purchased huge quantities of soybean and cotton from farmers at MSP in the Kharif marketing season of 2024-25, yet there is a decrease in the enthusiasm and attraction of farmers towards its cultivation because the producers were forced to sell the remaining stock after government procurement at a price much lower than the MSP.

The interesting fact is that for the 2025-26 season, the MSP of cotton has been increased by Rs 589 per quintal and the MSP of soybean has been increased by Rs 436 per quintal, while the support price of maize has been increased by Rs 175 per quintal. Industry and trade organizations have expressed serious concern over the decline in soybean acreage.