Paraguay soybean exports gain value as crushing hits first-half high

Paraguay’s soybean industry posted one of its strongest first-half performances in recent years, with crushing volumes reaching the highest level for the period since 2018 and export revenue rising sharply.

Between January and June 2026, Paraguay processed 1.85 million tonnes of soybeans, according to data from the Paraguayan Chamber of Oilseed and Grain Processors, known as Cappro. The volume was 12.4% higher than in the same period of 2025, with an additional 204,071 tonnes industrialized.

When other crops such as canola and sunflower are included, total crushing reached 1.88 million tonnes, reflecting stronger activity across Paraguay’s oilseed-processing industry.

The increase allowed plants to reach 78% utilization of installed capacity, above the level recorded in May and a sign that processing recovered after a larger harvest. Cappro member companies currently have capacity to process 14,730 tonnes per day, leaving room for further industrialization in the second half of the year.

The stronger processing pace also supports Paraguay’s strategy of adding value domestically by transforming soybeans into higher-demand industrial products such as soybean oil, meal and hulls.

Soy complex generates nearly half of export dollars

The recovery in crushing had a direct impact on Paraguay soybean exports and the country’s foreign-exchange inflows.

From January to June, exports of soybeans and byproducts generated US$2.98 billion, about US$900 million more than in the same period of 2025.

With that result, the soy complex accounted for 46% of all foreign currency generated by Paraguayan exports, eight percentage points more than a year earlier.

Industrialized soy products contributed US$709.63 million, up 21% year over year, driven mainly by a recovery in international soybean oil prices.

Soybean oil export volume rose 4%, while revenue increased 22%, supported by stronger global prices. Higher crushing also increased the availability of soybean meal and hulls for livestock production, the food industry and the biofuels sector.

Outlook points to larger crop

Forecasts for the 2025/26 season point to a soybean harvest of about 12.18 million tonnes, planted over 3.63 million hectares and with an average yield of 3.36 tonnes per hectare.

Against that backdrop, Cappro said Paraguay’s next challenge is to deepen soybean industrialization through policies that encourage new investment, improve competitiveness and provide greater predictability for the sector.

For exporters, processors and logistics operators, the expansion of Paraguay soybean exports reinforces the country’s role in South American agribusiness trade. As a larger share of production is processed domestically, Paraguay can increase the value of its shipments while strengthening an agroindustrial chain that already accounts for almost half of the country’s export-generated foreign currency.

Source: AgroLatam

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