September 3, 2024
Madhya Pradesh, India regains position as country's top soybean producing state
Madhya Pradesh has regained its position as India's leading soybean-producing state, surpassing Maharashtra in soybean production for the 2023-24 season, The Times of India reported.
According to the latest data from the government of India, Madhya Pradesh produced 5.47 million tonnes of soybean, making up 41.92% of the country's total soybean production. Maharashtra followed closely with 5.23 million tonnes, contributing 40.01% to the national total, while Rajasthan secured third place with 1.17 million tonnes, accounting for 8.96% of India's overall soybean production.
Madhya Pradesh had fallen behind Maharashtra in soybean production over the past two years. In 2022-23, Maharashtra led the country with 5.47 million tonnes of soybean, contributing 42.12% to the national total. Madhya Pradesh was second, producing 5.39 million tonnes and accounting for 41.50% of the total.
In 2021-22, Maharashtra held the top spot with 6.20 million tonnes of soybean production, contributing 48.7% to India's soybean output, while Madhya Pradesh produced 4.61 million tonnes, contributing 35.78%. The previous year, in 2020-21, Madhya Pradesh led with 5.15 million tonnes of production, contributing 45.05% to the national total. Maharashtra followed with 4.6 million tonnes, and Rajasthan ranked third.
The increase in production for Madhya Pradesh in 2023-24 is attributed to a 1.7% rise in the area under soybean cultivation. The cultivated area expanded from 5,975 thousand hectares in 2022-23 to 6,679 thousand hectares in 2023-24, resulting in a corresponding rise in production. Soybean production grew from 6.332 million metric tonnes in 2022-23 to 6.675 million metric tonnes in 2023-24.
An official spokesperson highlighted that soybean production and cultivation area have fluctuated in recent years. In 2019-20, the soybean cultivation area in Madhya Pradesh increased by 14.30% compared to the previous year, expanding from 5,019 thousand hectares in 2018-19 to 6,194 thousand hectares in 2019-20. However, despite the rise in cultivated area, soybean production dropped by 33.62%, falling from 5.809 million metric tonnes in 2018-19 to 3.856 million metric tonnes in 2019-20.
The state's recent recovery in soybean production reflects a reversal of the downward trend seen in previous years.
- The Times of India