India wants Brazil’s farm mojo to grow more from less land

Despite harvesting a record 15 million tonnes of soybean in the 2024-25 kharif season, India still imported 3.7 million tonnes of soybean oil this year. Although an Indian record, the output is tiny compared with Brazil's 169 million tonnes average annual production.

Now, policymakers are studying Brazil’s technology-driven farming methods in hopes of closing that gap and boosting incomes for Indian farmers, according to two people aware of the development.

The initiative—focused on soybean, maize and tomatoes—aims to cut India’s edible oil import bill and meet rising maize demand, especially for ethanol production, while improving overall farm productivity. Brazil’s success in boosting yields through precision tools, efficient land-use and sustainable farming has made it a model worth emulating.

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Brazil has transformed its farming sector with GPS-guided equipment, drones, and satellite imagery to manage soil health, irrigation, and fertilizers. Its widespread use of double cropping—raising soybeans followed by maize on the same land each year—has significantly raised land productivity. Farmers also rely on no-till farming, cover cropping, and integrated pest management to maintain long-term soil health.

“By adopting Brazil’s best practices in soybean cultivation and processing, India can not only reduce its reliance on imported edible oil but also look at building its own export potential," one of the people cited above said.

Brazilian farmers are expected to harvest a record 172 million tonnes of soybeans across 45 million hectares in the 2024-25 crop season, according to Reuters. India, by comparison, will harvest 15 million tonnes from 13 million hectares. That translates to an average yield of just one tonne per hectare in India—compared with Brazil’s 3.3 tonnes.

This yield gap explains why India has to import large quantities of soybean oil, analysts say. Imports rose to 3.7 million tonnes in 2024, from 3.4 million tonnes the year before. The government now hopes that adapting Brazilian techniques can help raise yields as well as oil extraction efficiency.

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Queries emailed to India’s agriculture ministry remained unanswered until press time.

Crop productivity lessons from Brazil

India is also studying Brazil’s edge in other crops, especially maize. With average yields of around 22 tonnes per hectare, Brazil far outpaces India’s 2.5 to 4.5 tonnes.

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Brazil’s maize output has soared in recent years, reaching a record 132 million tonnes in 2023. This year, production is forecast at 120 million tonnes—its second-highest on record, according to the US Department of Agriculture. While the US and China remain the top global producers, Brazil is close behind, ahead of the EU, Argentina and India.

“As the yield is low, farmers are not inclined to grow the crop on a large scale. If productivity increases, it will be a win-win situation," said Bhavdeep Sardana, senior vice president and CEO, Sukhjit Starch & Chemicals Ltd, an agro-processing company.

India’s maize output is estimated at 37 million tonnes in 2024-25, up marginally from 35.5 million tonnes the previous year. But demand is rising faster—driven by ethanol blending targets, starch manufacturing and the animal feed industry—creating pressure on domestic supply.

Farmers are feeling the squeeze.

“The demand for maize is rising because it’s widely used as poultry feed," said Pritam Singh, a farmer based in Panipat. “We also want to understand what agricultural practices are being followed in Brazil that help their farmers produce over 20 tonnes of maize per acre. The government should arrange a visit for Indian farmers to learn from Brazil’s best practices to boost our own production."

To be sure, unlike Brazil, which has embraced genetically modified (GM) crops, India has so far refrained from introducing GM maize—a constraint that experts say is holding back productivity.

“Brazil’s high productivity is largely due to the use of genetically modified crops," said Pravesh Sharma, former managing director of the Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium and now a director at agri value-chain platform Samunnati. “If we want to achieve productivity levels similar to Brazil, we will also need to take a call on adopting GM technologies for crops like maize, which we currently do not have."

In tomatoes, too, Brazil has the advantage. While India’s average yield ranges between 20 and 25 tonnes per hectare—and up to 50–60 tonnes for hybrid varieties—Brazil reports average yields of over 70 tonnes, supported by hybrid seeds, drip irrigation and better pest control.

India’s outreach to Brazil follows agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s recent visit, where he explored potential collaborations in seed development, mechanization, and food processing. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is expected to lead efforts to adapt Brazilian innovations for Indian farms.

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“India’s large arable land and Brazil’s technology-driven practices could complement each other well," said the second official cited earlier. “As global food and energy dynamics change rapidly, India’s push to modernize its farming systems may find the right partner in Brazil."