Soybean, a profitable crop that seems to have been forgotten in Pakistan for years, via China-Pakistan agricultural cooperation, is now getting the opportunity to glitter in the country again. Soybean, known as ‘meat that grows on plant’, contains 40-42% good quality protein and 18-22% oil. Today, most of the world’s soybeans are crushed or processed into soybean meal and oil. About 70% of the soybean’s value comes from the meal. Soybean meal is the premier protein choice for livestock, poultry and aquaculture production globally, and soybean oil is one of the most widely consumed cooking oil and the second most consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Generally assumed originating from China, soybean now is cultivated well and widely across the globe. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in MY 2019/20, world soybean production reached 337.30 MMT. Though world soybean production keeps ascending, local soybean production in Pakistan is still negligible, which is at a risk of food insecurity. The USDA data shows that in MY 2019/20 Pakistan’s soybean production is only about 2000 metric tons (MT). Soybean crops were introduced to Pakistan in the 1960s and the commercial cultivation began in 1970-71. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Provincial Research Institutes in 1977-78 carried out research and eight soybean varieties were developed.

During the 1990s, the area under soybean cultivation once touched the highest point at 6,613 hectares, then declined sharply to few hectares without any increase in the following years till today. Based on various research studies, soybean production and commercialization in Pakistan is hindered by the unavailability of high-yielding, climate-ready and pest-resistant varieties, absence of latest production technologies, skills and knowledge, lack of machinery and insufficiency of marketing of produce and its by-products.