Soybean Becoming Thai "cash Crop"

[george]

Soybean becoming Thai "cash crop"

While most Thai export industries have been affected by the global economic meltdown, the agro-export industries are bucking the downward trend. Frozen soybean in particular, remains lucrative.

It has been three weeks since Uncle Samran Puangrat started growing his latest soybean beds in Chiang Mai’s Mae On district. He hopes in the coming harvest season, his soybean will be sold at a good price.

Uncle Samran started growing soybean some 20 years ago and has been helped by useful growing techniques from a frozen food manufacturer in Chiang Mai whom he later started supplying all of his produce to.

"It’s better to grow soybean than other crops. The price keep rising. Rice and corn can’t fetch a very good price, whereas soybean can," said Samran Puangrat, a soybean grower.

Prapas Pholpipattanaphong, managing director of Chiang Mai Frozen Food, said frozen soybean exports continued to grow and had become the country’s ‘cash crop’, bringing in one billion baht of income in 2008. For Prapas’ factory alone, a total of 8,000 tonnes of frozen soybean were exported to Japan last year, where soybean is popular.

"Of our total frozen soybean production, only 2-3 per cent is sold in Thailand, while about 85 per cent goes to Japan. The rest is sent to the United States and European countries. Soybean seems not to be popular here but when it’s sent to Japan, its value increases," said Prapas Pholpipattanaphong, Chiang Mai Frozen Food Managing Director.

Prapas added other exporting industries might be hard hit by the global recession, but the situation did not worry the Thai agro- export sector, as China’s food industry, Thailand’s main rival, had been severely tarnished by the melamine-contamination scandal. Many countries were turning to products from Thailand instead.

"Taiwan has reduced agricultural production while China has been questioned over its food safety. So clients have turned to Thai products. But Thai manufacturers have to control the quality and safety of their products, otherwise they will run into problems like China," said Prapas.

A Bank of Thailand report showed agro-products exported via the northern customhouses were valued at about 2 billion baht in 2008, or a 60 per cent increase from the previous year. The report also foresaw a bright prospect for the agro-industry in 2009 as long as farmers and manufacturers could maintain production quality.

-- TNA 2009-02-08

[PaddyThai]

Sounds interesting.

I hope this won't mean evryone will start growing Soya thereby flooding the market in the years ahead.

That seems to be the case with most recent cash crops ; Eucalyptus, Casava, Rubber, even cows. Everyone wants in on the new product and then there is over supply.

[farmerjo]

Interested to know what a good yeild of soya beans per rai would be and what sowing rate and spacings per rai and of course if they use a knockdown and fertilizer.

I grew them a couple of years ago as a rotation crop,but the labour costs were against growing them for a cash crop.

If anybody could give advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Purpose not for sell but for on farm use.

[farmerjo]

And while im asking,can the small rice harvesters fitted with different screens harvest soya beans or would you need a threepoint lingage swather to windrow them and twine later.

[Gary A]

As the regulars here already know, you are not going to get rich farming in Thailand regardless of what you grow. That said, my wife got 20 baht per kilo for the small amount of soybeans that she had. Weeds are the main problem with soybeans. If the soybeans were planted in rows and you had mounted cultivators on the tractor, I think that would eliminate most of the weed problem and soybeans would be a pretty good cash crop.

[Westering]

We're just in the first year of experimenting with our soil and climate to see what we can grow successfully here in Khon Kaen. Soybeans would be very interesting both as food and to add nitrogen to the soil but I wonder if true-breeding non-GM seed is easily obtainable. Can anyone suggest a good supplier who would give reliable detailed info about the seed they sell?

[farmerjo]

Hi westering,

The first crop i grew we just brought graded seed from a local farmer for a couple of baht more than merchants were offering them,marjo was the variety,they grew very well planted at songkran.Unfortunatly we had so many people turn up to buy on farm the wife didnt think to keep some for seed.When we planted in july i coulnt get any quality seed and just had to buy by the kilo from a merchant.They were full of weeds with no variety known,not very sucessful.

Havent actually seen any seed for sale by the monsantos etc so i would say no problem gm,s

[JungleBiker]

There are soybeans and vegetable soybeans. The news article at the top is talking about vegetable soybeans, the ones you see in Lotus and Big C - still in the pods, green, boiled and then frozen. Japanese businessmen like to eat them as a snack with beer.

Edited February 22, 2009 by JungleBiker

[H2oDunc]

I read a very interesting article last night about soy beans. Having been married to a veggie I always thought they were good for you? Evidently not! the full article is here http://www.gremolata.com/Articles/213-Spil...e-with-Soy.aspx

Dont we end up reading some strange things when surfing the net?

Thais especially seem to like the soy milk. Its certainly opened my eyes !

[PaddyThai]

I read a very interesting article last night about soy beans. Having been married to a veggie I always thought they were good for you? Evidently not! the full article is here http://www.gremolata.com/Articles/213-Spil...e-with-Soy.aspx

Dont we end up reading some strange things when surfing the net?

Thais especially seem to like the soy milk. Its certainly opened my eyes !

That article is too long for me to read now. If you have time could you list main points? Thanks

[H2oDunc]

Paddy here are a few of the points made

Even people who never got used to the taste- or shall I admit tastelessness- of soy added it in hopes of reaping the benefits of those amazing nutrients. Isoflavones, genisteins, lectins, saponins, and phytoestrogens- don't these wonderful names signal a whole host of cancer fighting, heart disease preventing, cholesterol-lowering miracles?

What if I said that those fancy words are actually toxins and the soya bean is naturally loaded with all of them? What if I told you that big business soy ran campaigns like Soy 2000 to convince us that these antinutrients were beneficial? What if I told you that soy is not a complete protein, is not widely used in Asia, and is incredibly dangerous for human consumption? What if I told you that the Food and Drug Administration lists soy as a poisonous plant?

Here's a brief overview of Daniel's findings:

soy oil was the first and primary profit centre for soy, and soy was largely responsible for the spread of hydrogenated or trans fats

most soy is genetically modified

soy farming is wreaking greater devastation on forests, cottage industries, and family farms than the cattle industry. (If you mistakenly thought soy was a bunch of hippie farmers, like I did, Dr. Daniel tells it like it is: "Let's name names. Monsanto, Dupont, Archer Daniels Midland, Solae . . . Nearly all the old hippie companies have been bought up by the big boys. For example, White Wave is owned by Dean Foods. Some of America's largest food companies now manufacture soy foods or use soy ingredients heavily in their products. Think Kraft, Kellogg, ConAgra, General Mills, Heinz, Unilever Best Foods and Dean Foods.")

soy is a major allergen, and because it is used as filler in hundreds of products including meats and 'vegetable oil,' people with allergies may be at risk

soy contains goitrogens, which damage the thyroid

soy contains lectins, which cause red blood cells to lump together and may trigger abnormal immunity responses

soy contains oligosaccarides, sugars that cause bloating and gas

soy contains oxalates, which prevent calcium absorption, cause painful kidney stones and vulvodynia, a vaginal disorder

many plant foods contain phytates and phytic acid, naturally occurring 'pesticides' to keep plants from being eaten while growing. phytates impair mineral absorption, and in fact, remove many minerals already in the body, including iron, zinc, and calcium. phytates in many foods are alleviated by cooking - soy's phytate levels are high and stubborn.

isoflavones, lauded as natural estrogens, are serious endocrine disruptors, lowering testosterone, causing menstrual disorders, and cancer cell proliferation

protease inhibitors interfere with digestive enzymes, saponins may lower good cholesterol and damage intestine

that all of these plant chemicals can have benefits, and do exist in other foods, to varying levels of edibility: that soaking grains and fermenting beans are ancient food prep traditions

soymilk is far from a natural food: it is filled with rancid fats and high in sugar

soy cheeses are largely made with hydrogenated oils (safety level of hydrogenated products? ZERO)

some health problems that may be associated with soy foods are: bladder, prostate, colorectal, thyroid and breast cancer; precancerous lesions; heart disease; type 2 diabetes; malnutrition; stunted growth; flatulence; pancreatic problems; low libido: early puberty; anemia; zinc deficiency; osteoporosis; intestinal damage; mal-absorption and leaky gut syndrome; kidney stones; allergies; infant death; immune system disruption; thyroid disease - and the list goes on.

As I said after living with a vegatarian for a long time I believed it to be beneficial to good health. Seems not?

[NHC]

Paddy here are a few of the points made

Even people who never got used to the taste- or shall I admit tastelessness- of soy added it in hopes of reaping the benefits of those amazing nutrients. Isoflavones, genisteins, lectins, saponins, and phytoestrogens- don't these wonderful names signal a whole host of cancer fighting, heart disease preventing, cholesterol-lowering miracles?

What if I said that those fancy words are actually toxins and the soya bean is naturally loaded with all of them? What if I told you that big business soy ran campaigns like Soy 2000 to convince us that these antinutrients were beneficial? What if I told you that soy is not a complete protein, is not widely used in Asia, and is incredibly dangerous for human consumption? What if I told you that the Food and Drug Administration lists soy as a poisonous plant?

Here's a brief overview of Daniel's findings:

soy oil was the first and primary profit centre for soy, and soy was largely responsible for the spread of hydrogenated or trans fats

most soy is genetically modified

soy farming is wreaking greater devastation on forests, cottage industries, and family farms than the cattle industry. (If you mistakenly thought soy was a bunch of hippie farmers, like I did, Dr. Daniel tells it like it is: "Let's name names. Monsanto, Dupont, Archer Daniels Midland, Solae . . . Nearly all the old hippie companies have been bought up by the big boys. For example, White Wave is owned by Dean Foods. Some of America's largest food companies now manufacture soy foods or use soy ingredients heavily in their products. Think Kraft, Kellogg, ConAgra, General Mills, Heinz, Unilever Best Foods and Dean Foods.")

soy is a major allergen, and because it is used as filler in hundreds of products including meats and 'vegetable oil,' people with allergies may be at risk

soy contains goitrogens, which damage the thyroid

soy contains lectins, which cause red blood cells to lump together and may trigger abnormal immunity responses

soy contains oligosaccarides, sugars that cause bloating and gas

soy contains oxalates, which prevent calcium absorption, cause painful kidney stones and vulvodynia, a vaginal disorder

many plant foods contain phytates and phytic acid, naturally occurring 'pesticides' to keep plants from being eaten while growing. phytates impair mineral absorption, and in fact, remove many minerals already in the body, including iron, zinc, and calcium. phytates in many foods are alleviated by cooking - soy's phytate levels are high and stubborn.

isoflavones, lauded as natural estrogens, are serious endocrine disruptors, lowering testosterone, causing menstrual disorders, and cancer cell proliferation

protease inhibitors interfere with digestive enzymes, saponins may lower good cholesterol and damage intestine

that all of these plant chemicals can have benefits, and do exist in other foods, to varying levels of edibility: that soaking grains and fermenting beans are ancient food prep traditions

soymilk is far from a natural food: it is filled with rancid fats and high in sugar

soy cheeses are largely made with hydrogenated oils (safety level of hydrogenated products? ZERO)

some health problems that may be associated with soy foods are: bladder, prostate, colorectal, thyroid and breast cancer; precancerous lesions; heart disease; type 2 diabetes; malnutrition; stunted growth; flatulence; pancreatic problems; low libido: early puberty; anemia; zinc deficiency; osteoporosis; intestinal damage; mal-absorption and leaky gut syndrome; kidney stones; allergies; infant death; immune system disruption; thyroid disease - and the list goes on.

As I said after living with a vegatarian for a long time I believed it to be beneficial to good health. Seems not?

This is shocking! But no more shocking then this article. "Soy is making kids gay" You'll have to google it since I cannot give the link here. Google gives it top billing.

These series of reports blew my mind and made me look at Thailands gay population with some understanding as to why so many ladyboys abound. Proactive: Soy products and soy bean bi-products are officially banned on the NHC ranch and I've stopped humming Broadway show tunes. Although...I am tempted to grow the product and ship it off to Japan. Is that so wrong? Decisions, decisions.

NHC

[slapout]

Wife sold beans this past week for 14 baht/kilo. She came home mad as wet hen as the fellow buying was rounding weight to the lower kilo. guess she finally got a re weigh and then told the other farmers what was happening and they all got re weighed and credit for additional weight. She had her own scales and the buyer even had to reset the scale as he was buggering them on weight also. Guess the group involved told the big boss (her words) that they would not grow or sell anything to him again.It is amazing Thailand alright, but lets see if they remember next year.

[ebean001]

China buys a huge amount of soybeans from USA. They canceled 90% of their orders recently. maybe a good time to sell to china. (get you foot in the door now).

[zzaa09]

Those that have a keen curiosity towards these things, might pay attention to the Thai Mung Bean exports.

Not receiving the fanfare, yet exceeding expectations - more so than soy products.

[holy cow cm]

On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 3:19 PM, ebean001 said:

China buys a huge amount of soybeans from USA. They canceled 90% of their orders recently. maybe a good time to sell to china. (get you foot in the door now).

animal feed of yellow soybean. Not edamame. They will be buying more again