Drought in India will reduce the harvest of corn and soybean

According to the livestock sector estimates for the kharif 2026 season, maize production in India is projected at 232.09 million quintals (23.21 million tonnes), which is 16.75% lower than last year's estimate. The area under this crop decreased by 9.01% to 89.06 million hectares. Soybean production is estimated at 124.06 million quintals (12.41 million tonnes), which is 3.52% less than the government estimate for kharif 2025 of 128.59 million quintals. Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman of CLFMA of India, noted that the maize situation is of particular concern to the poultry sector due to its dependence on this raw material as the main source of energy in feed.

Significant weather stress was recorded in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Maharashtra, maize production is estimated at 22.8 million quintals (a 24.22% drop), and in Karnataka at 34 million quintals (a 33.37% decrease) compared to last year. Soybean output in Maharashtra is projected at 46.5 million quintals (minus 3.99%), while in the largest producer state, Madhya Pradesh, the figure is expected to reach 53.2 million quintals with a 10.43% decrease. These forecasts could increase supply-side pressure on the soybean and maize market and raise feed costs for poultry farms, which account for 65–70% of production expenses.

At the same time, the Soyabean Processors Association of India (SOPA) in its initial estimates indicated that the soybean harvest may decrease by 2.11% to 107.93 million quintals against 110.25 million quintals in the previous year. This happened against the background of a general increase in acreage and recovery of indicators in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan due to yield, however, drought in Maharashtra and Karnataka partially reduced the total volume of the soybean harvest.