Soybean sowing lags due to weak rainfall in major producing regions

23-Jun-2026 05:18 PM

Indore: Although wholesale market prices of soybean are significantly higher than the government’s Minimum Support Price (MSP), encouraging farmers to expand cultivation, sowing activity has been slow this season due to a severe shortage of monsoon rainfall in the three major producing states—Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

According to data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture, soybean acreage has reached only 1.30 lakh hectares as of June 19, 2026. This is 1.20 lakh hectares lower than 2.50 lakh hectares recorded during the same period last year.

In Maharashtra, farmers in some regions are waiting anxiously for adequate rainfall. If strong rains do not arrive in the next 10–15 days, farmers may shift from arhar (tur) cultivation toward soybean, while in some areas maize acreage may also increase.

Among other kharif oilseeds, groundnut acreage has increased from 5.09 lakh hectares to 5.25 lakh hectares, while sunflower cultivation has risen sharply from 27,000 hectares to 49,000 hectares. In contrast, sesame acreage has declined from 19,000 hectares to 15,000 hectares.