Giving soybean its due: 2026 Year of Soy may put sector on growth path

The soybean industry has urged the government to declare 2026 as the “Year of Soy”. The plea, backed by all stakeholders, including public-sector bodies and research organisations, has come at a time when the soybean sector is at the crossroads. While the production of soybean is stagnating at around 12.5 million tonnes over the past few years, the demand for this multi-utility grain is steadily mounting, escalating the dependence on imports. The profitability of soybean cultivation has been on the decline due to climate change-driven weather uncertainties, the growing threat of pests and diseases, and price fluctuations, dissuading farmers from raising production. The crop-planting trends in the ongoing kharif sowing season clearly indicate the diversion of some land from soybean to more lucrative crops, such as paddy, sugarcane, or maize, even in the country’s leading soybean-producing state, Madhya Pradesh, which also abounds in soy-based industrial units. An appropriate response, by way of favourable policies and programmes to boost the production and consumption of soybean, is imperative to prop up this sector. Observing 2026 as the Year of Soy would provide an appropriate opportunity to do so.   

Soybean is a rich source of both protein and oil. Higher soy production can facilitate achieving two critical objectives of alleviating rampant malnutrition, especially protein deficiency, and mitigating edible-oil shortage. It can, additionally, generate more employment in the soy-based industry and the downstream value-chain, and allow higher exports of value-added soy products to capitalise on the growing global demand for vegetable proteins. At present, Indian soy exports consist largely of low-value, albeit highly nutritious, de-oiled soybean meal for use as animal feed. Good-quality soybean grains for producing protein supplements and protein-dense soy-based snacks for human consumption are mostly imported from abroad. 

According to the Soy Food Promotion and Welfare Association (SFPWA), soybean is one of the most cost-effective sources of good-quality protein and many other vital nutrients. It contains all the nine essential amino acids (a complete range of dietary proteins) and sizeable amounts of healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. The cost of soy protein is generally around one-sixth of that of protein from eggs and other non-vegetarian sources, and half of wheat protein. The grains have, on average, 40 per cent protein, which is quite comparable to — and, in some cases, even higher than — the protein in eggs and various kinds of meat. Its fat content, estimated at around 20 per cent, though lower than that in some other oilseeds like mustard and groundnut, is deemed of good quality because it comprises both mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats. It also contains some vital vitamins, such as Vitamin K and Vitamin A; minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and selenium; and the much sought after antioxidants and phyto-nutrients, which offer various health benefits.

 

However, the present level of consumption of soybean in India is too low, merely 2 grams per day, compared to 40 grams in China and 30 grams in Japan. Experts believe that this level should go up to 15-20 grams to ensure proper nutrition for people who rely primarily on vegetarian foods for their protein requirement. Meagre soy consumption can be attributed to several factors, apart from limited availability. These include want of awareness of the health and nutritional merits of soybean; people’s intrinsic preference for dairy products, such as milk, dahi, lassi and paneer; and, most importantly, the issues related to the digestibility of soybean, particularly when used like traditional Indian dals. Soy seeds carry certain undesirable compounds, chiefly trypsin-inhibitors and phytates, which adversely affect nutrient absorption, and pose health hazards like gas and bloating. Though many of these unhealthy ingredients can be eliminated to a large extent through simple procedures like overnight soaking in water, proper cooking, and industrial processing, not many people know this. Besides, many consumers do not relish the typical taste and flavour of soy products. Even a globally popular soy-based product like tofu fails to find many takers in India because it does not match the appeal of its equivalent milk-based desi alternatives.

 

Unfortunately, soybean also suffers from an identity crisis. It is neither considered an oilseed, though it is grown largely for extracting oil and using the resultant seed-cake as cattle feed, nor as legume (pulse crop), though it has a very high content of protein and, like other legumes, fixes atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. The onus of educating people about the virtues of soybean, and the correct ways of consuming it, rests primarily with the soy-based industry, trade, and other stakeholders. No doubt, they cannot be accused of inaction on this front, but more needs to be done to further boost the demand of soybean as a health food. Observing 2026 as the Year of Soy can go far in putting this sector on a fast growth trajectory.

 

surinder.sud@gmail.com