Azernews.Az

By Aygul Salmanova

The production of soybean, a widespread food product in the world, is reviving in Azerbaijan.

Soybean, a type of edible legume, is considered one of the five main food plants in the U.S., Brazil, China, India and Paraguay.

Experts predict this year the world soybean production will be about 350,000 tons. Azerbaijan will also take its place on the market, since a product can contribute to the development of agriculture and restore excellent export opportunities for the country.

This year the country started to grow soybean in 19 regions on an area of more than 9,000 hectares.

In the current year, 99 hectares of soybean plant have been planted in the farms of the north-western region of the country -- Zagatala for the first time.

Zagatala resident Abdulla Mahmudov, who also cultivates this seed, notes that soybeans are high-yielding, valuable plants and have a very big economic significance.

Soy, being a representative of the bean family, is characterized by a rich content of vegetable protein, therefore it is an excellent substitute for a variety of livestock products.

The plant has a wide range of uses in cooking - soybeans are used as a substitute for meat, it is also the main ingredient when making sauces, butter, sweets, beverages, and also special tofu cheese. Oil obtained from soybeans is a raw material for soap production. It is also used in lacquer painting industry. Additionally, soybean flour is a very valuable fodder for livestock.

Mahmudov stressed that every year thousands of tons of soybean are imported to the country.

“After considerable research, I decided to cultivate this plant in our region. Necessary agrotechnology was provided to the fields of cultivation. We have started harvesting for several days. It is possible to harvest up to 30 centners per hectare of irrigated lands. If a problem occurs with the sale of the product, I plan to further expand the sowing area next season,” he added.

Interest in the production of soybeans in Azerbaijan began to grow since last year. The

importance of expanding the acreage of this crop was earlier noted by President Ilham Aliyev, who drew attention to the fact that soybean breeding will help reduce the withdrawal of foreign currency from the country.

A ton of soybean costs more than $622 to Azerbaijan, and it is considered the most important component of the feed for animals. The country annually imports hundreds of thousands of tons of this legume from Latin America.

Azerbaijan is interested in the soybean cultivation not only to free the local farmers from dependence on foreign feed, but also for the high export potential of this product.

Soybean plant is considered as the most favorable product for livestock and poultry, so if Azerbaijan succeeds in the soybean production, then the country will meet the domestic needs and save at least $100 million directed to purchase feed for livestock.