Oilseed Sowing Down as Soybean Crop Suffers Damage
07-Oct-2025 04:49 PM
New Delhi. This year, the situation is not looking good for soybean, the main oilseed crop of the Kharif season. Weak market prices have reduced its sowing area, and natural disasters are also causing crop damage. Despite this, the wholesale market price is still well below the government support price.
Due to soybean, the total area under Kharif oilseed crops has also decreased by 10.62 lakh hectares from last year's 200.75 lakh hectares to 190.13 lakh hectares this time, which is 4.50 lakh hectares less than the normal average area of 194.63 lakh hectares.
Data from the Union Agriculture Ministry shows that compared to last year, the domestic soybean production area during the current Kharif season has declined to 120.45 lakh hectares as of October 3, 2025. Last year, it was cultivated on 129.55 lakh hectares.
Thus, a sharp decline of 9.10 lakh hectares was recorded in the soybean sown area. Its normal average area was estimated at 127.19 lakh hectares.
In the three top producing states of the country - Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the soybean acreage has decreased, and the crop has also been damaged by floods and rains.
Among other Kharif oilseed crops, the peanut production area decreased from 49.96 lakh hectares last year to 48.36 lakh hectares this time, the sesame sown area fell from 11.07 lakh hectares to 10.51 lakh hectares, and the sunflower area slipped from 73 thousand hectares to 71 thousand hectares.
While the niger seed area improved from 98 thousand hectares to 1.04 lakh hectares, and the castor sown area increased from 8.39 lakh hectares to 8.98 lakh hectares. It should be noted that castor is primarily considered a non-edible or industrial category oilseed crop.
Peanut cultivation has increased in Gujarat and Rajasthan, the two top producing states, but sowing has declined in other states.
Oilseed crops have also been damaged in some places due to floods and rain, but the condition of the remaining crops is said to be satisfactory.
The Gujarat government has estimated a good peanut production in the state this year. The harvesting and preparation of the new peanut crop has started accelerating the arrival of peanuts in the markets.