Growing Soybean in Afghanistan

 

Written by: Mir Aqa Atabar

In recent years some farmers in Afghanistan cultivate soybean.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some farmers and an agriculture expert about soybean and its cultivation.

Ahmadullah, a resident of Parwan province says that he doesn’t know anything about soybean but Jaheed, a resident of Herat province says that soybean is a plant like beans, mung beans, and peas, and we are cultivating like these plants.

Abdul Qahir Rubaty, chairman of Soybean Farmers' Association, Parwan province says: “Soybeans are two-bed plants from the class of cereals such as wheat, barley, beans, and mung and are cultivating in some places of Afghanistan. A factory produces Soy milk in Kabul and about 8 companies produce soy flour in different parts of Afghanistan. Cookies, edible oils, and chicken feed are also producing from soybean.

How to Grow Soybean?

A farmer, Abdul Ahad says: “Soybean plants are easy to cultivate. They grow best in full sun and in warm weather and I cultivate it in rows.”

Another farmer, Muhammad Asif says: “I cultivate soybean in a field under direct sunshine because soybean needs more sun rays.”

Rubati says: “farmers could cultivate soybean in three different ways: streaming, rows and field type but streaming is most successful in Afghanistan. Rows come in the second place. More Sunrays shine on this type of soybean cultivation. 10 kgs soybean seeds are needed to be cultivated in one jerib land.

 Soybean has 40% protein, and 18% of it is omega-3 oil, which is very useful to human body and farmer could get a double benefit from the cultivation of soybean rather than wheat.”