DA pushes agenda for soybean productivity

Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. met recently with stakeholders of the soybean industry to discuss prospects and problems of the sector.

Participants in the meeting are representatives of the Department of Agriculture (Office of the Secretary, DA Planning, Livestock Development Council, Bureau of Plant Industry and DA Regional Field Units II); Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Research Center; Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines Los Baños; Bureau of Postharvest Research Extension and financing agencies Land Bank, Quedancor and Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

The private sector participants were from San Miguel Corp. Agri-Business, Philippine Association of Feed Millers and Multipurpose Cooperative Inc.

Undersecretary for Livestock and Fisheries Cesar M. Drilon Jr. and LDC Executive Director Pedro O. Ocampo, chairman of the technical working group were among government functionaries who exchanged and shared views with the cross section of the livestock, poultry and feed milling subsectors.

For the road map, it was agreed that the development of domestic soya bean production should be pursued on the following activities and benchmark.

Soybean production should be an integral component in the development of sustainable crop-livestock farming. It should not only be a supplier of raw materials to processors. It should be at the forefront of field crop production and development of efficient backyard livestock and poultry industry; and at the same time contributing to better nutritional status of the farm household.

Government agencies can package available technology and participate in the production of seeds. Moreover, government can make available to farmers credit facilities while at the same training farmers on production, utilization and marketing.

The agriculture department will organize three groups for production, postharvest and marketing and financing. The agency will provide funding for seed production with the initial requirement of P240,000 capital.

Technology available for utilization has been pinpointed. Suitable growing sites across the country will be added to soy bean farming. For more incomes and soil conservation, cropping system will involve rotation with corn and rice; intercropping with cassava and sugar cane will also be practiced.

The markets waiting for improved productivity are oil and meal extraction plants. This would require produce from 200,000 hectares. Full fat extrusion plants that require produce from 100,000 hectares and vegemeat-soymilk-curd processing plants that would need the commodity from 5,000 hectares.