Soybean Acreage on the Rise, Grew by More Than 100% Over Last Year

13 July 2024, New Delhi: As per the latest sowing acreage data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Soybean acreage have grown by 100% over last year. Soybean has been sown in 60.63 lakh hectares as of now whereas it was sown in 28.86 lakh hectares in the corresponding week of last year. It is an increase of 110% over last year.

The total oilseed segment comprising of soybean, groundnut, sunflower, sesame, niger, caster crops have grown by 8% reaching to 80.31 lakh hectares when compared to corresponding week of last year where it was 28.34 lakh hectares. Last year in 2023, soybean was sown in 125.62 lakh hectares which was a growth of 7% over the normal acreage of 117 lakh hectares. The government has been buying soybean in Madhya Pradesh on minimum support price and this has been one of the main reason for the farmers to grow soybean with assured procurement.

This dramatic increase in the acreage of soybean can be credited to two major reasons. One is the timely arrival of monsoon and the other is increase in the minimum support price. 

India has been promoting farmers to grow pulses to reduce the import dependence. The new union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been pushing research institutions to improve productivity of pulses. He has also directed states to increase acreages of pulses to make india self sufficient in production. 

Even farmers have preferred sowing of tur under pulses. Pulses have been sown in 36.81 lakh hectares, while in the same period last year it was 23.78 lakh hectares. Sowing of tur was 4.09 lakh hectares till this week last year and it has increased almost 4 times to reach 20.82 lakh hectares. The MSP of tur has increased by 8% to Rs 7550 per quintal.

Fall in Millets

Despite a significant increase in the MSP of millets / Shri Anna / coarse grains, the crops have failed to attract farmers as most of them are unable to find the right market or sell the crop at the support price. According to recent data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the area under millets till this week is about 80% less than last year, which is only 17 lakh hectares.

Cotton Shows Significant Growth

The sowing of cotton has reached 80.63 lakh hectares, which is 29% higher than 62.34 lakh hectares in the same period last year. 

The total area under Kharif is 378 lakh hectares which is 14% higher when compared to the corresponding week of last year.

Area Coverage Under Kharif Crops (As of 8th July 2024)

S. No.	Crop	Area Sown 2024	Area Sown 2023	Increase(+)/ Decrease(-) over 2023	% Increase(+)/ Decrease(-) over 2023
1	Paddy	59.99	50.26	9.72	19%
2	Pulses	36.81	23.78	13.03	55%
a	Arhar	20.82	4.09	16.74	410%
b	Urdbean	5.37	3.67	1.69	46%
c	Moongbean	8.49	11.79	-3.30	-28%
d	Kulthi*	0.08	0.07	0.01	9%
e	Other pulses	2.05	4.15	-2.10	-51%
3	Millets & Coarse Cereals	58.48	82.08	-23.60	-29%
a	Jowar	3.66	7.16	-3.50	-49%
b	Bajra	11.41	43.02	-31.61	-73%
c	Ragi	1.02	0.94	0.09	9%
d	Small millets	1.29	0.75	0.54	72%
e	Maize	41.09	30.22	10.88	36%
4	Oilseeds	80.31	51.97	28.34	8%
a	Groundnut	17.85	21.24	-3.39	-16%
b	Soybean	60.63	28.86	31.77	110%
c	Sunflower	0.46	0.30	0.16	52%
d	Sesamum**	1.04	1.34	-0.30	-22%
e	Niger	0.19	0.00	0.19	9453%
f	Castor	0.10	0.20	-0.10	-50%
g	Other Oilseeds	0.04	0.04	0.00	8%
5	Sugarcane	56.88	55.45	1.43	3%
6	Jute & Mesta	5.63	6.02	-0.39	-6%
7	Cotton	80.63	62.34	18.29	29%
	Total	378.72	331.90	46.81	14%

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