Product Description: Soybean is one of the grain legumes cultivated as a field crop for human consumption. Grain legumes in general and soybeans in particular, contain high quality protein. However mature soybean seeds cannot directly be used a food without first fermenting, sprouting or extracting the oil. Denatured mature soybean seeds can be used as food either boiled or roasted. The young soybean seeds in pods can be used as green vegetable without treatment. Soybean flour made form Soya meal can be mixed with wheat flour to producer backed well. It is also used in to the making of candies and ice cream. The mature seeds can also be processed to give Soya milk, curds and cheese. Soya sauce is made from mature and fermented soybean seeds which are mainly used as cooking and salad oil. The oil is also used in the manufacturing industries for several purposes.
Rationale: Cereals are the major component of food in take in the region which is rich in starch but poor in protein and other essential minerals. Unlike cereals, legumes or pulses are rich in protein but poor in starch contents.
The protein requirement of the people of the region can be satisfied with the provision of cereal- legume diet. Such a balanced diet will prevent the prevailing constraints of malnutrition is the region. As a source of quality protein soybeans are much better than any other grain legumes. The protein content of other legumes varies from 20-25% while that of soybeans is 40% which is comparable to some animal source protein. Soybean protein is much cheaper than protein from animal sources. Despite this wide range of benefits from the crop, there is no supply of soybean in the region.
On the other hand, the Amhara region has large potential areas suitable for soybeans growing. All maize, sorghum and millet producing areas in the region are also suitable for soybeans production. Hence, soybeans can be widely produced in mid and low altitudes of Awi, West Gojam and North Gondar zones of the regions.
3. Market Potentials: The region has a total population of 19.4 million. Unbalanced and inadequate nutrition is prevailing on the region. The food intake of the people is dominated by cereals which is rich starch but poor in probe in content. Soybean is a grain legume with very high quality protein requirement of the people if it can be provided with cereal food. For example, soybean with maize, soybeans with wheat or rice could provide a balanced diet to the people of region. In this regard soybean has great potential markets in the region.
On the other hand, soybean can be supplied a raw materials to several industries. Soybean seed could be used by flour mill to make soybean flour which could be mixed with wheat flour to produce several kinds of baked good. Soybean flour can be also used in the making of candies and ice cream soybean seeds can also be used to process Soya … which can be used in infant feeding. Soya sauce is also produced from soybean seeds to be used as a sauce. Mature soybean seeds are also required by oil industry to produce Soya oil. The oil can be used as cooking and salad oil. The oil is also used industrially in the manufacture of paints printing ink, soaps, synthetic fiber adhesive etc.
All these kinds of agro food processing and manufacturing industries could have been initiated in the country as well as in the Amhara region if there was adequate supply of soybean.
The by-product of say milk and oil is Soya Cake which is rich in protein Soy-cake is highly required as animal feed. It is one of the basic constituents of concentrate of animal feed. There are already constraints or big short fall in soybean supply in the poultry industry in the country. The poultry industry is at its beginning stage yet, almost there is no soybean cake supply. Therefore, there is a large demand for soybeans supply in the country.
Source of Raw Material: Basic raw material required for the production of soybean seeds are seeds, fertilizers, and packing materials. All these inputs and packing materials are available locally.
Production process and Technology: Soybean field requires ploughing, disking and harrowing and be firm seed bed. There should be enough moisture in the soil at the time of sowing planting date for the Amhara region may be during May to early July in which the rating care well established. The recommendation seed rate is 75 to 100kg per hectare at desired spacing between rows and plants. Germination will take place withing 3-4 days based on soil test results of the field, fertilizer could be applied of at a recommended rate and time intervals. At early stage soybean should field be clean of weeds. The crop is relatively free of insect pests. In five months time soybeans is ready for harvesting. Harvesting can be carried out by manual labor or tractors but labor is preferred labor is cheap and abundant in the region. Seeds are bagged with polybag in 50 or 100 kg depending on the market requirements. Soybean can be grown both with rain-fed sand irrigation but a gives better yield irrigation.
Investment cost estimate: Land development, stores and machinery shades constructions, office and residence building construction, purchase of tractors, trailers and other farm implements and transport vehicles are the basic components of investment required for soybean farm establishment. These investment cost is estimated at Birr 10,000/ ha and an initial working capital of Birr 2500/ha.
Benefit to the Regional Economic: Soybean is an excellent source of protein to the regional people where unbalance diet and malnutrition is still a major constraint in region. It will also facilitate and expedite investment in agro processing and manufacturing industries. All these chain effects of Soya bean production will create great employment opportunities in the region. It will also generate income to investors in the form of profit and revenue to the regional government in the form of income tax and VAT.
Location: The lowland areas of Awi West Gojam and North Gonder zones are considered as suitable areas for soybeans production.