DA creates Phl soybean board

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced the establishment of a Philippine Soybean Board (PSB) to take advantage of the growing demand specifically for organic soybean.

The board is expected to raise soybean growers’ competitiveness in the Philippines, as well as emulate the National Corn Competitive Board the helped raised global competitiveness of local corn.

DA-BAR project will design an incentive program to create a community of soybean planters. Three zonal banks will be put up. Small scale irrigation systems and small processing equipment for pooling farmers’ produce will be set up, and a Philippine Quality Standard will be put up for organic soybean.

BAR director Nicomedes P. Eleazar mentioned that a soybean coffee maker “Healthy Rich” targets to export 2,400 boxes of the protein-rich coffee product to Malaysia but support is needed to help beef up production to meet brisk demand for the protein-rich product.

The manufacturer of the Healthy Rich brand, MGSK (Makabagong Gabay sa Kalusugan), produces 2,400 boxes of 3-in-1 soybean brew in a month. 

This capacity, however, is intended for the local market.

In 2011, MGSK obtained a P2.5 million financial grant from the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) which was used to commercialize its small-scale soybean products. 

It has so far completed the nutritional analysis for 16 product lines, developed its packaging, secured small equipment for packaging, and improved its formulation.

It is now in the process of securing Halal certification.  This will be funded by the BAR grant’s last tranche release.

“We import soybean heavily.  If there is a way for farmers to be encouraged to plant soybean by showing them the market through value added products, BAR will be ready to support these programs,” said Eleazar.

MGSK is aligning its program with the Department of Agriculture (DA) which has a thrust to encourage soybean planting. 

 Government seeks to expand soybean area as it is a raw material for food and feed industries.  These businesses depend on imported whole soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil.

Soybean importation has consistently risen over the years from 25 metric tons (MT) in 1986 to 140,000 MT in 1994, and close to 300,000 MT in 2000. 

Soybean meal importation amounted to some P13 billion as of 2002.   Price of soybean is very encouraging for Filipino farmers as it peaked to more than US$600 per MT in 2008 with a local equivalent of more than P26 per kilo.

As of 2011, price was around US$550 per hectare or about P23-P25 per kilo locally. —  Ehda M. Dagooc/JOB

Local soybean demand has the potential to grow given promotional works on its being a healthy heart-inducing and anti-cancer food (isoflavones).  Recipes on soybean is set to be released by BAR to encourage inclusion of soybean in Filipino meals.

Besides, Filipinos are among the least of soybean eaters.  Annual per capital consumption of soybean in Southeast Asia is nine kilos in Indonesia, 8.9 kilos in Singapore, 3.5 kilos in Malaysia, 2.5 kilos in Thailand, and only 0.4 kilo in the Philippines.

Soybean is also now being touted as a “wonder crop” considering the richness of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and ash in its cotyledon, hypocotyls, whole bean, and hulls.  MGSK boasts of soybean as containing rich protein that is two times that of animal meat, five times that of bread, four times of egg, and 12 times of milk. —  (FREEMAN)