Potential of the Miracle Bean: Soybean Cultivation in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the major soybean producing states of India. The crop occupies a dominant position in the cropping pattern of the state. This paper analyses trends and pattern of growth of soybean over time and across districts of Maharashtra. It calculates profitability of soybean and its competing crops, and discusses major problems/ constraints facing the soybean cultivators. The analysis of the secondary data reveals slowdown in the overall growth in case of soybean at the state and district level in the post 2000 period. The major factor for this seems to be the lower area under irrigation in case of this crop. The analysis of the field level information reveals relative profitability of soybean cultivation. Though the farmers are more concerned about the economic constraints relating to prices, the technological factors (relating to quality and availability of inputs) are also important for increasing yield and total production. In view of the increasing demand for edible oil, increasing reliance on imports to satisfy the domestic demand and for limits to area expansion, it is important to sustain the current level of production of soybean. Provision of irrigation and other quality inputs such as seeds and support from a strong extension machinery may lead to an increase in the yield and reduce the yield gap, especially in the case of marginal farmers and arrest slowdown in the soybean sector.