The Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) has said that the country’s output of soybean may fall nearly 18% from a year ago to 9 million tonnes in 2019 as excessive rainfall hit the oilseed crop in the top three-producing states.
The crop was badly affected in low-lying areas of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan due to water-logging. Lower production could force the country to raise overseas buying of palm oil, sunflower oil and soy oil in the 2019/20 marketing year starting from November 1.
The central state of Madhya Pradesh, the biggest producer of soybeans in the country, received 44% above-average rainfall in 2019. The western states of Maharashtra and Rajasthan are India's second- and third-biggest producers.