The
Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Vincent Bamulangaki
Ssempijja has said government will soon consider Soybean as a country`s
strategic crop that will earn farmers good money.
He made the remarks while launching a new soybean variety (Maksoy 6N) and
state-of-the-art soybean storage facilities yesterday in Kabanyolo-Wakiso
District.
The Minister said this new variety was development by Makerere University with support from the Vegetable Oil Development
Project (VODP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
(MAAIF).
“Soybean is now both strategic and a priority crop
for Uganda that is why I am soon taking it cabinet for consideration, it must
be put on the list of priority crops for the country because countries like
Brazil and USA made it a number one crop,” the Minister said.
VODP Manager, Connie Magomu Masaaba said under the
leadership of Ssempijja and the
Permanent Secretary, Pius Wakabi Kasaija, MAAIF has been able to sponsor more
research on oil crops like soybean, simsim (sesame) and others in order to
satisfy the demand for both locally and at the international market level.
Soybean is one the most nutritious crops in the
world containing approximately 40% protein and 20% oil, both of which are vital
in human and animal diet.
Soybean has become one of the most promising food crops available to improve the diets of millions of people in the world.
It contains at least 100% more proteins with yields of
5-10 times more protein per unit area than any other crop. It is also balanced
with all the essential amino acids which the body cannot manufacture.
The amount of proteins found in soybean is similar
to animal proteins, which makes it the only substitute to animal and fish
protein.
For this reason, soybean based foods are highly recommended by nutritional specialists to children, mothers and HIV patients.
