EU Commission expects smaller soybean output

An updated estimate by the EU Commission suggests that this year’s soybean harvest in the EU-27 falls slightly short of the previous year's level, following a reduction in cultivation area for the 2025 harvest.
The expected yield increases cannot offset this decline in area.
In its latest estimate, the EU Commission marginally raised its forecast for soybean production in the EU.
According to this information, the 2025 harvest is up about 18,000 tonnes on the October estimate, reaching just under 2.9 million tonnes. Nevertheless, this still represents an estimated decrease of 106,000 tonnes year-on-year.
The drop is due to a 7% reduction in area planted, as average yields are expected to exceed the previous year's level of 26.8 decitonnes per hectare, as well as the long-term average, rising to 27.8 decitonnes per hectare.
Italy remains the EU's leading soybean-producing country, with output totalling 1.1 million tonnes, followed by France with 387,000 tonnes. Harvests in the Balkan states are projected to fall short of the previous year's levels.
This especially applies to Romania with an output of 245,000 tonnes – representing a year-on-year decrease of 54,000 tonnes – despite a 12% reduction in area.
According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), German farmers harvested 134,000 tonnes of soybeans, representing an almost 2% increase compared with 2024.