The soybean farming community in Madhya Pradesh, India’s leading soybean-producing state, is facing a multifaceted crisis that threatens the future of the crop and the livelihoods of farmers who have relied on it for decades. This issue is deeply rooted in declining yields, falling market prices, government policies, and the looming threat of cheap soybean imports from the United States. The situation, as experienced by farmers on the ground and analyzed by industry experts and scientists, reflects broader challenges confronting Indian agriculture today.
Arvind Singh Rathore, a young farmer from Muradpura village on the outskirts of Indore, represents a new generation that is increasingly disillusioned with farming. Born in 1989, a year before his grandfather and father started cultivating soybean on their ancestral land, Arvind has spent over 15 years managing 25 acres of soybean fields alongside his father. Yet, despite this legacy, he now contemplates leaving agriculture altogether. He cites multiple issues, including climate change and unfavorable government import-export policies, as key reasons for his waning interest. “The yield is very low this time,” Arvind notes, explaining that current productivity is just two to 2.5 quintals per acre, less than half of what his forebears achieved. Prices have also dropped sharply, by nearly ₹1,000 compared to 15 years ago. Additionally, alternate crops such as maize are not viable due to damage caused by nilgai, a large antelope that destroys crops in the region.
A significant concern among farmers like Arvind is the government’s move to import soybean from the United States at a cheaper price, which they fear will further depress domestic prices and deepen their crisis. While India already imports soybean oil and other edible oils, the prospect of raw soybean imports threatens to undermine the entire local industry. Arvind and other farmer leaders are demanding a revision of import-export policies to protect their livelihoods.
Compounding these challenges is the issue of minimum support price (MSP) enforcement. The government announced an MSP of ₹5,328 per quintal for soybean during the current kharif season, but farmers in local markets such as the Chhawani grain market in Indore are forced to sell their crop for as low as ₹3,000 per quintal, barely covering costs. Arvind laments, “Soybean cultivation gives us huge losses. Both the Centre and State governments claim they have doubled farmers’ income, but the reality is the opposite. Many farmers are abandoning agriculture to protect their land.”
Madhya Pradesh accounts for over 40% of India’s soybean production, harvesting roughly 52 lakh metric tonnes from about 53 lakh hectares. Yet, the Union Government reported on October 6, 2025, that the overall oilseed sowing area in the 2025 kharif season had decreased by 10.62 lakh hectares compared to the previous year, with soybean alone down by 9.1 lakh hectares. This decline signals a worrying trend for the sector and the State’s economy.
Another veteran farmer, Dilip Singh, who has cultivated soybean since 1997, echoes these concerns. He recalls how the community shifted from coarse cereals, millets, and pulses to soybean cultivation, encouraged by government promises linking the crop to self-reliance in edible oil production and meeting vegetarian protein needs. However, he now regrets this transition, pointing out that prices for millets and pulses have risen while soybean prices have fallen. “In 2014, I used to get between ₹4,200 and ₹4,500 per quintal. This season, I sold for ₹3,300 to ₹3,500, with no buyers at MSP,” he says.
Both Arvind and Dilip dismiss the government’s Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana—a price difference payment scheme designed to compensate farmers for price drops—as ineffective. Arvind describes it as a “fraud,” criticizing the disparity between model prices and average market prices, which leaves farmers uncompensated for their losses. Input costs are high, with expenses ranging from ₹8,000 to ₹10,000 per acre, including ₹2,500 to ₹3,000 for machinery hire alone. The scheme’s lack of transparency and failure to address real price gaps fuels farmer frustration.
Sher Singh Thakur, another local farmer, urges the government to halt any plans to import soybean. He stresses the need for value addition support and government procurement to sustain farmers, many of