Germany’s soybean production to increase 21%, Italy’s to shrink 15%

According to an estimate by the European Commission, soy supply in the EU-27 in the 2026-’27 marketing season is set to fall below the previous year’s level.

The main reason for the lower output is a significant reduction in Italian production.

On the other hand, Germany’s harvest is set to reach a record level, but according to the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP), there is still considerable potential for growth.

The association holds that EU soybean farming is generally on the upswing, pointing out that EU Commission information indicates that EU soybean production has tripled over the past decade, although output is set to decline in 2026 for the second year running.

UFOP said it places reliance on the funding opportunities provided by the announced national and European protein plans.

“Given the desolate situation in the grain and sugar markets, demand-driven diversification of crop rotation is the order of the day,” UFOP stated.

According to the organization, the plan by the EU Commission’s directorate-general for energy to classify soybeans globally as a feedstock with high indirect land-use change (ILUC) will have counterproductive effects on the desired expansion of European soybean production.

The association has called upon both the council and Parliament to stop the draft delegated regulation.

A majority of the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE Committee) voted in favor of a motion recommending that the European Parliament block the European Commission’s planned classification of soy.

According to UFOP, it is now up to the Parliament’s plenary assembly to follow this recommendation.

For the current crop year, soybean production is expected to reach just under 2.8 million metric tons, representing a decline of around 1 percent compared with 2025.

According to investigations conducted by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft mbH, the main reason for the slight reduction in soybean supply in the EU-27 is lower yield expectations.

Italy is expected to remain the largest producer in the EU, with output projected at 899,000 tons, representing a decrease of about 15 percent year-on-year.

In other words, the Italian soybean harvest would reach the lowest level in five years.

In contrast, the commission expects France, the second-largest EU supplier of soybeans, to record a 4 percent increase to 408,000 tons.

Other member states are also expected to see increases in soybean production compared with the previous year.

Soybean production in Germany is expected to be especially dynamic.

The EU Commission expects an increase of just over 21 percent compared with 2025, reaching 159,000 tons.

This means that the harvest will probably reach the highest level ever.

In other words, despite the limited absolute volume compared with other EU member states, Germany is gaining importance.

The expansion of soybean-cultivation areas and output underlines Germany’s role as a growing market, supported by rising demand for domestic protein sources.