Monday, July 18, 2016
NIGERIA'S domestic
production of soybeans is no doubt trending upwards but there is still a
shortfall in supply to demand due to heavy usage of the commodity by the
livestock industry. With rising demand in the poultry industry, and for human
food formulations, it is estimated that farmers can earn over N400 billion from
the commodity.
Soybeans
crushers in the country are operating below capacity and are unable to satisfy
the rising demand for soybeans meal and oil. Growing commercial utilisation of
soybeans in human food and animal feed sectors has created domestic supply gap
leaving massive opportunities for investments in production of the commodity.
In
Nigeria, soybeans cultivation starts May/June with land clearing and
harvesting normally occurs in late October through November every year.
The
crop is harvested three to four months after planting, depending on the time of
sowing and seed variety. Benue State was said to be the dominant soybeans
producing area but several other states in the North and Middle Belt also
produce soybeans.
However,
states in the Southwest and Southeast can also produce soybeans when rains have
reduced significantly. Coordinator, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of
Nigeria (CASON), Sotonye Anga, last year said the demand for soybeans in
Nigeria was about N300 billion.
In
addition, Nigeria has been producing only 25 per cent of its annual soybeans demand
leaving a gap of about 75per cent.
The
demand for soybeans is high because of the significant health benefits, which
include the ability to improve the metabolism, help people gain weight in a
healthy way, protect heart health, defend against cancer, reduces the effects
of menopause, improve digestive health, promotes bone health, protects against
birth defects, increase circulation, decreases the risk of diabetes and generally
tone up the body.
Soybeans
is high in protein and is used as a vegetarian and lactose alternative for many
foods, and also a species of legume that have become one of the most widely
consumed foods in the world. They are extremely useful for human health and are
easy to cultivate as well.
The
owner of Almofs Farm, Oladimeji Gideon, said that direct human consumption of
soybeans and its usage as animal feeds are also very significant in Nigeria,
especially among rural low-income groups that cannot really afford other
animal protein sources.
He
added that government needs to support soybeans farmers by developing seedlings
that are pest-resistant, giving farmers right inputs at subsidised rates. He
said by doing this, farmers can produce up to one million tonnes of soybeans
annually if not more.
According
to him, many farmers in Nigeria are yet to tap into soybeans' commercial usage
and opportunity in its supply, adding that some companies are now using the
commodity for energy drinks, which also resulted to its high demand in the
market.
Said
he: "One of the reasons soybeans is so widely cultivated is because it
contains more protein per acre of land than any other crop. It grows up to two
meters in height and is also a green, low-lying plant. Soybeans proteins are so
universally useful that this small, unassuming bean has become globally
significant.
SOURCE: DAILY SUN