Giving soybean its due

The soybean industry has urged the government to declare 2026 as the "Year of Soy".

- SURINDER SUD

The plea, backed by all stakeholders, including public-sector bodies and research organisations, has come at a time when the soybean sector is at the crossroads. While the production of soybean is stagnating at around 12.5 million tonnes over the past few years, the demand for this multi-utility grain is steadily mounting, escalating the dependence on imports. The profitability of soybean cultivation has been on the decline due to climate change-driven weather uncertainties, the growing threat of pests and diseases, and price fluctuations, dissuading farmers from raising production. The crop-planting trends in the ongoing kharif sowing season clearly indicate the diversion of some land from soybean to more lucrative crops, such as paddy, sugarcane, or maize, even in the country's leading soybean-producing state, Madhya Pradesh, which also abounds in soy-based industrial units. An appropriate response, by way of favourable policies and programmes to boost the production and consumption of soybean, is imperative to prop up this sector. Observing 2026 as the Year of Soy would provide an appropriate opportunity to do so.