14/01/2026 (World Grain), Brasilia, Brazil - Conditions are favorable for a record 2025-26 soybean crop in Brazil, along with a projected new high in exports, driven by demand from China, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

Planting reached nearly 98.5% of the total projected area as of the second half of December, with planting already completed in Mato Grosso, Paraná, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia, Tocantins, and most other regions, the FAS said.

Soybean area is forecast at 49.1 million hectares, a year-over-year increase of 3.1%. The expansion is expected to result in estimated production of 177 million tonnes, a 3.2% increase from 2024-25, the FAS said.

Exports for 2025-26 are estimated at 113 million tonnes, a 3.7% increase from the 2024-25 estimate. Most of the export growth in 2024-25 came from Chinese demand, the FAS said. Shipments to China from January to November were up 16.5% compared with the previous season.

Soybean oil production is estimated at 12.3 million tonnes, a 4.1% increase from the 2024-25 estimate. The increase primarily is driven by the increase in the mandatory biodiesel blend from B14 to B15, which took effect in August 2025. A further increase to B16 in March is possible, the FAS said.

“This shift is expected to boost domestic demand for soybean oil, generating optimism among producers and processors,” the agency said. “Soybean oil accounts for approximately 75% of Brazil’s biodiesel production.”

The new B15 mandate is expected to result in over 7 million tonnes of soybean oil being processed for biodiesel — a 9% increase compared with soybean oil consumption for this segment in 2024, the FAS said.

Soybean crush is expected to yield 46.1 million tonnes of soybean meal. More than 52% of 2025-26 meal production will be destined for exports, totaling 24 million tonnes.

In 2025, exports already have exceeded 21.3 million tonnes, and it’s estimated that by the end of December exports will have totaled over 23.4 million tonnes, with Indonesia remaining the leading destination, followed by Thailand and Europe, the FAS said.

https://www.world-grain.com/articles/22286-record-high-soybean-crop-expected-in-brazil