EN 
PT_BR 
Brazil is projected to reach its highest ever soybean crushing volume in 2026. The new projection released by the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) indicates that domestic processing of the grain could reach 62.5 million tons next year, consolidating the growth of the national soybean derivatives industry.
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The positive revision of the estimates reflects the growth of the Brazilian harvest and the increased demand for products such as soybean meal and oil, used both in the animal protein chain and in the production of biofuels.
According to the organization, the expansion of crushing reinforces the strategic role of the Brazilian industry in adding value to national agricultural production, increasing the supply of by-products and reducing dependence on exporting only raw grain.
With the advancement of processing, soybean meal production is estimated at 48.1 million tons, while soybean oil production is expected to reach 12.55 million tons in 2026.
Brazil's total soybean production estimate remains at 180.13 million tons, according to figures from the National Supply Company (Conab). Projected imports total 900,000 tons of soybeans and 125,000 tons of soybean oil.
Exports
Photo: Daiane Mendonça
Even with the growth in domestic consumption, Brazil is expected to maintain its global leadership in soybean complex exports. External sales of soybeans are projected at 114.1 million tons in 2026, a slight increase of 0.41 TP4T compared to the previous estimate.
In the by-products sector, Abiove projects exports of 24.8 million tons of soybean meal and growth in oil shipments, which are expected to reach 1.6 million tons.
According to the organization, the simultaneous growth of exports and domestic processing demonstrates greater robustness in the Brazilian industrial chain, especially at a time of expanding global demand for food and renewable energy. "The continuous growth in crushing reflects the sector's effort to add value to national agricultural production with stability and technical efficiency," Abiove highlighted in a statement.
Industry maintains growth.
Operational data from the first quarter already indicate strong industrial activity in the sector. In March alone, soybean processing reached 4.995 million tons, an increase of 25.81 TP4T compared to February of this year and growth of 5.91 TP4T compared to March 2025, considering the adjustment for the sample percentage.
For the year to date, crushing totaled 12.84 million tons, an increase of 9.81% compared to the same period last year.
The growth in processing occurs within a context of expanding industrial capacity, increased demand for soybean meal for animal feed, and higher consumption of soybean oil by the biodiesel industry.
