Potential Rise in Edible Oil Prices Due to Delayed Soybean Sowing

30-Jun-2026 03:36 PM

Mumbai: Soybean sowing is currently delayed due to unfavorable weather and monsoon conditions, with the sown area lagging significantly behind last year's figures. Any delay in sowing will inevitably push back the start of the harvest.

This raises concerns about potential complications in the supply and availability of edible oils in the domestic market, likely leading to a rise in prices. Meanwhile, the crisis in West Asia persists.

The pace of soybean sowing is very slow. Sowing has been delayed by approximately 12–15 days in major producing states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Telangana.

The domestic industry fears that the El Niño phenomenon could pose further risks to sowing operations, keeping edible oil prices firm. Groundnut sowing is also lagging.

Edible oil prices have risen by approximately 10% since the onset of the Iran-US conflict. A lack of monsoon rainfall is being observed in key producing regions.

According to SOPA, the country produced 110.20 lakh tonnes of soybean last year. This year, it is crucial to monitor not only the total rainfall but also its distribution.