Soya

History

Introduction Origin and Spread Area and Production Economic Importance

Introduction

  • Soybean is cultivated extensively in south Asian countries and U.S.A.
  • In India Soybean cultivation is introduced in 1977.
  • In our country at the present time it is restricted mainly to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Maharashtra and Gujarat.
  • It is also grown on a small acreage in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.
  • Even though it is the cheapest high quality vegetable protein, we are yet to exploit its full potential.
  • Mainly the Japanese and Chinese consume it as the Chinese gourmet. Chinese create their delicious works of art with soya.
  • In India people started liking this pulse mainly among the vegetarians. It is a boon to the vegetarians.
  • Soybean contains the highest protein among the pulses.
  • Other than the whole pulse, lots of processed Soya products are available in the market. They include soya milk, soya flour, Soya curd and tofu (soya paneer).

Top

Origin and Spread

  • The first domestication of soybean has been traced to the eastern half of North China in the eleventh century B.C. or perhaps a bit earlier.
  • Soybean has been one of the five main plant foods of China along with rice, soybeans, wheat, barley and millet.
  • According to early authors, soybean production was localized in China until after the Chinese-Japanese war of 1894-95, when the Japanese began to import soybean oil cake for use as fertilizer.
  • Shipments of soybeans were made to Europe about 1908, and the soybean attracted worldwide attention.
  • Europeans had been aware of soybeans as early as 1712 through the writing of a German botanist.
  • Some soybean seed may have been sent from China by missionaries as early as 1740 and planted in France.
  • The soybean was a recent introduction to India, probably introduced into India from China, Japan and South east Asia via the Naga Hills and Minipur, at the far eastern tip of India.
  • Production of soybean in India at the present time is restricted mainly to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
    It is also grown on a small acreage in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.

Top

Area and Production

  • Soybean is the most popular oilseed in the country after groundnut and soy meal is the largest produced oil meal in the country.
  • India produces 5-7 million tons of beans, 1 million ton of oil and 3-5 million tons of soy meal in a normal year. Madhya Pradesh (3.5-4.5 million tons), Maharashtra, Rajasthan and composite Andhrapradesh are the major producers of soybean in India. In UttarPradesh the soybean cultivation has started gearing up in the recent years.
  • Soy is a kharif crop, sown in June-July and harvested by September-October. Peak arrivals are from October-November.
  • India is one of the major exporters of soy meal to the Asian countries. South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Japan are some of the major importers of soy meal from the country.
  • India typically exports around 65% of the country's soy meal production currently. Soy meal accounted for 84% of the total edible oilseed meal exports from the country.
  • This leaves around 1-2 million tons for the consumption of the domestic poultry and cattle feed industry.
  • India, does not import soy meal to meet the requirements of the domestic feed industry, as the price equation inclusive of transports does not work in favour of imports.

Countrywise area, production and productivity of Soybean in the world during 2012

Country
Area (Ha)
Production(Mt)
Yield (Kg/Ha)
World 104997253 241841416 2303
Argentina 17577320 40100197 2281
Brazil 24975258 65848857 2636
Canada 1668400 4870160 2919
China 6750080 12800159 1896
India 10800000 11500000 1064
Paraguay 3000000 8350000 2783
USA 30798530 82054800 2664

Source: Faostat Citation


Area, Production and Yield of Soybean during 2012 - 13 in major producing states

State
Area (Million Ha)
Production(Million Tonnest)
Yield (Kg/Ha)
Madhya Pradesh 6.03 7.8 1294
Maharashtra 3.22 4.67 1450
Rajasthan 1.04 1.47 1413
Composite Andhra Pradesh 0.16 0.29 1813
Karnataka 0.17 0.18 1059
Others 0.22 0.27 @
All India 10.84 14.68 1354
@ - Since area / production is low in individual states yield rate in not worked out.

 

Top

Economic Value

  • In India 16 parts of whole oil production is soya oil.
  • In India Soybean is produced 70% in Madhya Pradesh, 18% in Maharashtra, and 09% in Rajasthan. Rs.2000 crores as Foreign Exchange is earned by exporting Soybean cake.
  • In last decade, Soybean production has increased tremendously.
  • When area covered under Soybean cultivation was in 1990-91 20 lakhs hec.has increased in 1998-99 to 58 lakhs hec. . In 2012 - 13 it further increased to 108.4 lakh hec.

Top

Andhra Pradesh

Soya

Soya Management