SOPA sees India 2017-18 soybean area down 6.4% at 10.3 million ha.

Soybean area in the country is likely to fall 6.4% on year to 10.3 million ha as farmers shifted to other crops lured by better realisations, citing results of their first crop survey of the 2017-18 (Jul-Jun) sowing season. Overall area in Madhya Pradesh (largest soybean grower) has decreased by 11% and the shift is to other crops like urad, moong, and maize. About 13.5% of the standing soybean crop in the country is in very poor condition, 57% is in fair condition, 17.4% of the crop is in good condition and the rest of the 12% is in very good condition. Some crop in Khandwa, Khargone and Barwani districts of Madhya Pradesh have suffered moisture stress because of lack of rains in the last 20-25 days and as a result yields may suffer. In line with Madhya Pradesh, area under soybean has also declined in Rajasthan. Soybean acreage this year in the state is seen at 920,000 ha, down from 980,000 ha a year ago.