Soybean imports likely to reach 1 million tonnes in the current season

17-Sep-2026 01:24 PM

Mumbai: Due to tight domestic supplies and high prices, India's total soybean imports are projected to surge to a record high of 1 million tonnes (10 lakh tonnes) during the current 2025-26 marketing season (October-September). While imports were negligible in the 2024-25 season, the scenario has shifted significantly this time.

Prospects for soybean production in the 2026-27 marketing season also appear uncertain; the sowing area is lagging behind last year's figures, and there are concerns that a weak monsoon and rainfall deficit could adversely affect crops in certain regions. Consequently, soybean imports from abroad are expected to continue into the new season.

According to a new report by the Indore-based Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA), total soybean imports reached 934,000 tonnes during the first 11 months of the current marketing season (October 2025 to August 2026). Based on contracts already finalized for September shipments, total imports for the entire season are expected to exceed 950,000 tonnes. Previously, India's highest soybean import volume was 700,000 tonnes, recorded during the 2022-23 season.

It is noteworthy that India was a soybean-exporting nation until the 2017-18 season; however, imports commenced in 2018-19 and steadily increased, reaching 700,000 tonnes by the 2022-23 season. Although imports dropped significantly during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, they have rebounded sharply in the 2025-26 season to hit an all-time high. India primarily imports non-GM soybeans, sourcing them from African countries. These imports come from nations located in the sub-Saharan region of the African continent, such as Niger, Togo, and Nigeria.