August 7, 2007

India's 2007 soy plantings nearly complete at 8.08 million hectares

India's soybean plantings this year are almost complete and are estimated at 8.08 million hectares, up from 7.71 million hectares a year earlier, a trade body said Monday (August 6).

India is one of the world's largest edible oils importers by volume. Soy acreage is one of the factors that determine the quantity of edible oil imports.

According to estimates, as of July 27, soybean plantings are 99 percent complete, said Soybean Processors Association of India, or SOPA, a lobby group of local soybean processors and exporters.

Acreage in central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh, India's largest soy producer by volume is estimated at 4.69 million hectares, up from 4.45 million hectares.

Area under soybean has increased in the western province of Rajasthan to 610,800 hectares from 580,300 hectares a year earlier.

In another western province, Maharashtra, the acreage declined to 2.28 million hectares from 2.30 million hectares.

According to latest federal government data, the area under soybean is estimated at 8.18 million hectares, as of August 3, up from 7.73 million hectares a year earlier.