Soybean Agriculture in Latur: Marathwada's Oilseed Hub

Latur district is one of Maharashtra's largest soybean producing zones, part of the Marathwada soybean belt that supplies a major share of India's soybean output. Farmers grow JS-335, MAUS-81, and MAUS-158 varieties on black cotton (vertisol) soils that retain moisture well for the kharif crop (June-October). The Latur mandi is a primary soybean trading centre, with daily arrivals during harvest season setting benchmark prices for the region. Soybean cultivation transformed Marathwada agriculture in the 1970s-80s, providing a high-protein cash crop alternative to traditional sorghum and pearl millet. Traditional farmers maintained cotton and sorghum intercropping before soybean's introduction; today monoculture soybean dominates, increasing vulnerability to pest outbreaks and price volatility. The Marathwada krishi (agriculture) sahakari movement organises FPOs that process soybean into oil and meal, capturing downstream value.