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Soybean Acreage Falls Sharply in Vidarbha as Farmers Shift Crops

Soybean Acreage Falls Sharply in Vidarbha as Farmers Shift Crops
Soybean Acreage Falls Sharply in Vidarbha as Farmers Shift Crops

India’s first official estimates for the 2025 kharif (monsoon) season revealed a sharp decline in soybean planting.


As of late August, the area under soybeans in central India was down significantly from last year. Official figures show soybean sown area falling from about 13.0 million hectares to roughly 12.0 million hectares nationwide.


Much of this drop comes from the country’s central belt, where Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (including Vidarbha) traditionally lead soy cultivation.


In Maharashtra, the fall has already been visible: farmers planted soybean on about 49.7 lakh hectares in 2025, compared to 51.5 lakh hectares the previous year. This decline stems partly from farmers shifting land into higher-return crops. Maize area in India grew by about 12.6% this season, reflecting a migration from soybean and other oilseeds.


Many Vidarbha cultivators echoed this shift, noting that maize yields roughly 25 quintals per acre at about ₹2,200 per quintal, far above the 5–8 quintals per acre typical of soybean, making maize a more lucrative choice despite its wildlife risks. The result is a contraction of soybean acreage in Vidarbha, even as total kharif acreage nationally remains near normal.


The cropping data underline this pattern. The Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) reported soybean area down by about 2.6% year-on-year nationwide.


Meanwhile, a government dataset showed soybean area of 120.45 lakh hectares in 2025 versus 129.55 lakh in 2024. The ‘maize-for-soybean’ trend is clear in Vidarbha’s numbers. Sources indicate Maharashtra’s soy area slipped by roughly 3.5%, and growers themselves confirm many fields were switched to corn or even water-intensive sugarcane.


One commodity official noted that bountiful rainfall encouraged some Vidarbha farmers to plant more sugarcane, a perennial crop, in place of soybean and other oilseeds. In sum, the monsoon sowing period has seen substantial acreage migration away from oilseeds: Vidarbha’s soybean fields have shrunk as maize, sugarcane and other crops gain ground.


Monsoon Rains and Crop Damage in Vidarbha


The southwest monsoon played a mixed role for Vidarbha’s soybean crop in 2025. On one hand, plentiful early rains allowed timely planting and growth in many areas.


On the other hand, sporadic heavy downpours late in the season caused waterlogging and crop losses in some Vidarbha districts.

Agrometeorologists noted that excessive August–September rains flooded pockets of the region, delaying farm operations and even destroying standing crops. For example, surveys found parts of Vidarbha faced delayed sowing and shorter plant height due to delayed development after intense rains. In Washim, Akola, Hingoli and Amravati districts, all in Vidarbha, a significant portion of soybean acreage was replanted or stunted because of these rain spells.


Even where fields were sown normally, waterlogging was a concern. The state agriculture department logged thousands of hectares of rain damage in Vidarbha late in the season, similar to losses elsewhere in Marathwada.


One farmer described how relentless rain turned his soybean field into a large pond, washing away crops completely.


Across northern Maharashtra, the standing soybean crop was described as generally satisfactory overall, but with trouble spots. Monsoon forecasting agencies issued alerts as heavy showers persisted.


In some Vidarbha talukas, local officials had to shift crops or set up temporary dams to protect fields.

In short, while the normal monsoon rainfall supported planting, its uneven distribution created localised problems. Many Vidarbha growers now brace for potential yield penalties or even total crop loss in the worst-affected tracts.


Economic Pressures on Vidarbha Farmers


Beyond weather and area shifts, market forces have added to Vidarbha farmers’ anxieties. Soybean prices at the farm gate have been weak throughout 2025.


The government-set minimum support price (MSP) for soybean was raised to ₹5,328 per quintal, but traders note that open-market rates remained 10–20% below MSP for much of the season.


By September 2025, wholesale prices were around ₹4,600 per quintal nationwide, well under the MSP.

This has squeezed farmer income: with limited official procurement in Maharashtra, growers must often sell below the support price or pay brokerage to middlemen. As one mid-season report observed, unless procurement at MSP is effectively implemented, the MSP increase will remain notional for farmers.


Vidarbha farmers are particularly exposed to these price stresses. Soybean is their second-largest kharif crop after cotton, so a glut in supply or subsidised sales elsewhere hits them hard. Indeed, a recent policy move in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh is expected to depress soy rates locally.


MP relaunched its Bhavantar price-support scheme (covering the MSP shortfall) for soybean, prompting a flood of sales from MP growers.


Industry analysts warn that this extra supply of MSP compensation will push down market prices across India, leaving Vidarbha farmers worse off. Trade sources note that solvent extractors in Indore (MP) are now well-stocked from the scheme, so Maharashtra growers will face even lower quotes.


At the field level, many Vidarbha farmers cite the combined effect of acreage drop and price drop. “Soybean profits have been negligible for years,” a farmer in Yavatmal district commented, explaining why many peers switched to maize or other crops.


Even the advantages of maize are offset by other risks: growers point out that wild boar raids in Vidarbha deter maize cultivation, which is why many end up reverting to soybean despite low prices. However, with soybean area contracting and prices sagging, these farmers worry over leaner incomes.


A cotton-soybean trader from Nagpur summed it up: maize may yield more volume, but soybean still commands better per-quintal prices, yet if prices fall further, even high yields may not cover costs.


In summary, Vidarbha’s soybean farmers entered kharif 2025 on the back foot. Planted area is down significantly, harvest has been hit by unseasonal rains, and market rates are unfavourable.


Trade bodies estimate India’s soybean output could fall by over 12% this year. For Vidarbha cultivators, this translates into real hardship.

Many now face a harvest of far fewer soybeans than usual, and those beans are selling for much less. As the monsoon wanes, farmers in the region are left to weigh the losses and pray for stable markets.


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