India’s poultry and livestock sectors are facing mounting pressure due to a sharp increase in soybean meal prices, raising concerns over feed affordability and farm profitability. Soybean meal prices reportedly surged from USD 0.59/kg in early April to USD 0.74/kg by early May 2026 — an increase of nearly 25%.
As feed contributes around 65–70% of poultry production costs, the rise has significantly impacted poultry, dairy, and aquaculture sectors. Prices of corn and de-oiled rice bran have also moved upward, further increasing feed manufacturing costs.
The situation has intensified due to lower soybean production estimates for the 2025–26 season. While government projections place output at 12.72 million tons compared to 15.26 million tons last year, industry estimates suggest production could fall closer to 11 million tons due to erratic weather and reduced acreage.
Poultry associations have urged the government to allow imports of 1.5 million tons of genetically modified (GM) soybean meal to stabilize supply and control feed costs. Industry leaders warn that without intervention; rising feed prices could eventually increase egg and chicken prices and severely impact small and medium poultry farmers.
However, soybean processors have opposed the import proposal, arguing that domestic stocks are sufficient and imports could hurt local farmers and India’s non-GMO soybean positioning in export markets. Industry bodies have also sought tighter controls on speculative futures trading to reduce market volatility.
