India's soybean imports surge to record as domestic prices rally

India's soybean ​imports in 2025/26 surged to ​a record 1.1 ‌million metric ​tons from negligible volumes a year earlier, as a rally in ‌domestic prices prompted mills to step up overseas purchases, a leading trade body said on Wednesday. The South Asian nation ‌imported about 2,000 tons in the previous year, data ‌from the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) shows.

India permits imports only of non-genetically-modified soybeans, limiting supplies to a handful of African ⁠nations - including ​Benin, Niger, ⁠Togo and Nigeria - where non-GM beans command a steep premium over ⁠genetically modified varieties. Niger emerged as the biggest soybean exporter ​to India with shipments of more than 430,000 tons ⁠in the marketing year ended on September 30, traders estimate.

The surge ⁠prompted ​Indian customs authorities to investigate soybean imports declared as originating in Niger, on suspicion the cargoes ⁠came from Nigeria and were mislabelled to evade import tariffs, Reuters ⁠reported ⁠this month. India's soymeal exports in 2025/26 halved to 1 million tons, SOPA said in ‌a ‌statement.