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Informist, Wednesday, May 13, 2026

MUMBAI – The US Department of Agriculture has estimated global oilseed production in 2026-27 (May-Apr) at 718.10 million tonnes, up nearly 3% from 698.51 million tonnes in 2025-26. The rise in production is largely due to a rise in soybean production, which is pegged at 441.54 million tonnes, up from 427.60 million tonnes, the department said in its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report for May. The department sees higher production of soybean in Brazil, the US, and Argentina.

Sunflower seed production in 2026-27 is projected to increase by 7.0 million tonnes, with most of the increase likely in Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, and Argentina. Though the acreage under rapeseed area is pegged to rise by 4% on year, global production is only likely to grow by 1%, which is by 1.4 million tonnes, as major producers, such as Canada and the EU, return to trend yields after last year's highs.

The combined global oilseed crush for major oilseeds, which include soybeans, rapeseed, and sunflower seed, is projected to increase by 4% in 2026-27 due to higher product demand, the department said. The bulk of this rise is due to a rise in soybean crush in the US, Brazil, China, and Argentina, along with higher sunflower seed crush in Ukraine, the EU, Russia, and Argentina, and an expanding canola crush in Canada. 

The department pegs global oil meal production at 412.68 million tonnes in 2026-27, up from 404.10 million tonnes a year ago. Global oil meal exports are also pegged to rise, largely due to higher soybean meal exports from Brazil and the US, and sunflower seed meal exports from Russia and Ukraine. 

The estimate for global soybean meal production is raised to 300.41 million tonnes from 290.33 million tonnes seen in the previous year. Soybean meal production in India in 2025-26 is pegged at 8.00 million tonnes, up from 7.42 million tonnes a year ago. India is one of the largest importers of soyoil and an exporter of soybean meal.

The department pegs global output of major vegetable oils, which includes palm, sunflower seed, soybean, and rapeseed, at 244.07 million tonnes, higher than 237.31 million tonnes seen a year ago. Exports of all major vegetable oils are expected to increase 4% on year, with sunflower seed oil showing the strongest growth in 2026-27, they department said.

"Palm oil remains the world's most traded vegetable oil, accounting for about 50% of global trade, though its share has declined from 60% a decade ago," the department said. Palm oil exports are expected to decline slightly in 2026-27, as a rise in Indonesian shipments is offset by lower exports from Malaysia. In contrast, exports of other vegetable oils are projected to rise, particularly that of sunflower seed oil from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey, and canola oil exports from Canada, it said.

Global soybean exports, which make up over 85% of all oilseed trade, are estimated to rise to 189.22 million tonnes from 186.57 million tonnes in 2025-26, the department said. Exports of soybean are forecast to rise from the US and decline slightly from South America, as higher Brazil and Uruguay shipments are offset by lower exports from Argentina and Paraguay.

China's soybean imports are forecast to increase to 114.0 million tonnes from 112.0 million tonnes last year. Imports of soybean are also expected to rise for Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Egypt, Algeria, and Bangladesh, while they are likely to decline for Argentina, the EU, Russia, and Iran. Global soybean ending stocks are forecast to decline slightly to 124.78 million tonnes from 125.13 million tonnes in the prior marketing year due to lower US and Brazilian stocks, which is partly offset by higher stocks in Argentina, the department said.  End

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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