As soybean prices rule above the minimum support price levels, farmers in the key producing regions of Central India are showing preference to plant the oilseed crop and the trade body Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) expects the acreage to rise by 5-7 per cent over last year’s levels.Sowing of soybean has almost been complete for the kharif 2026 season in the key growing regions and section of farmers, who had shifted to maize last year, are seen switching back to the oilseed crop due to higher prices.SOPA estimates acreage gains across major states“Based on our field assessment, soybean sowing has been completed in approximately 80-90 per cent of the targetted area across soybean growing States. We expect the acreage to rise by about 5-7 per cent over last year’s levels as farmers are showing preference to plant soybean across all major producing States,” said DN Pathak, Executive Director, SOPA. Last year, the soybean acreage stood at 114 lakh ha, as per SOPA.Soybean prices, Pathak said, are hovering in the range of ₹6,700-6,900 per quintal in Madhya Pradesh. The Centre has announced an MSP of ₹5,708 per quintal for soybean for the 2026-27 marketing season.SOPA’s estimates higher than government figuresThe soybean sowing started late due to the delayed onset of the South-West monsoon. As of July 8, SOPA has estimated the soybean acreage crossing the 100 lakh hectares (lh) mark at 100.31 lh. The trade body’s acreage estimates are higher than the Agriculture Ministry’s estimates of 57.92 lh. Pathak said the government data generally has a reporting lag of 7-10 days, which is the primary reason why the official figures are lower than our estimates, he said.In Madhya Pradesh, soybean has been planted on about 44.25 lh as per SOPA against the government’s estimate of 25.96 lh. Similarly, in Maharashtra, the soyabean acreage stood at 40.25 lh as of July 8 against the government estimate of 23.58 lh. In Rajasthan, SOPA estimates acreage at 7.98 lh against the government estimate of 4.94 lh.Crop condition satisfactory; rainfall remains key to outlookWith adequate rainfall across most parts of Madhya Pradesh, sowing has gained significant momentum and almost 90 per cent area has been covered, SOPA said. Similarly, in Rajasthan, the soybean sowing has been completed in approximately 90 per cent of the targeted area, while in Maharashtra, the soybean sowing has reached approximately 80-90 per cent of the targeted area. “Around 1–2 per cent of the sown area has reportedly been re-sown due to poor or failed germination in some locations following uneven rainfall,” Pathak said.The soybean crop is generally in normal to satisfactory condition across the major growing regions and is currently in the vegetative stage. Farmers are undertaking weed management operations using both herbicides and manual methods, including kolpa and dora, depending on local field conditions, SOPA said.While the overall crop condition is currently satisfactory, the final production outlook will depend on the timely distribution and adequacy of rainfall during the remaining three months of the growing season. If weather conditions remain favorable, the crop has the potential to achieve good productivity and deliver a higher harvest than the previous season, SOPA said.Published on July 9, 2026