Govt should promote soyabean products to address malnutrition

To tackle increasing malnutrition levels in children, the government should promote production and consumption of protein-rich soyabean products like tofu and soya milk, noted agricultural scientist R S Paroda said today.
Paroda is also the chairman of Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), which was set up as an outcome of the 88th session of Indian Science Congress in January 2001 with an aim to free the country from hunger and malnutrition.
"Soyabean products have 40 per cent protein content. Soyabean can be promoted to achieve nutritional security as the country has maximum malnourished children below 5 years, as compared to other parts of the world," Paroda told PTI on the sidelines of a workshop here.

Currently, soyabean production is around 15 million tonnes. Of this, 10 per cent is used as seed for cultivation, while another 10-15 per cent is being processed, while the rest 75 per cent is used as feed, he said.
Pitching for a favourable policy environment to boost production and consumption of soyabean products, Paroda said, "Some policy support in the form tax relief and incentives to small and medium food processing firms is required to encourage production of processed soyabean food products."
Currently, India is dependent on import of pulses to meet its protein demand. "We can meet the protein demand internally by promoting soyabean as food item, which is three times less costlier than pulses," he said.

Paroda, also chairman of Haryana Farmers' Commission, said there is a need to create a market for processed soya products in the country to achieve nutritional security.

"We can fortify 10 per cent of soya flour with wheat flour. We can also think about distributing soya milk under the Midday Meal scheme. There are ways to ensure nutritional security. We need some policy changes," he said.
The country has potential to increase soybean output to 30 million tonnes in the next ten years. About 4 million hectare area can be expanded in eastern and north easter region, he added.
Currently, soybean acreage is in around 14 million hectares. The crop is largely grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka.