The hectarage under soyabeans has decreased this season with the country expecting to produce 100 000 tonnes of the crop, down from 150 000 tons last year.

National Soya Bean Promotion Taskforce coordinator Professor Isheunesu Mupepereki said the late onset of the rains and lack of funds to purchase agricultural inputs prevented farmers from tilling large pieces of land.

“The hectarage is down. We are at least expecting to produce 100 000 tonnes this year. Most farmers had given up to plant the crop due to the late rains. Finance was a huge blow again as most banks were not giving loans to soyabeans farmers and they had to use own money to purchase inputs which were relatively expensive on the local market,” he added.

Mr Mupepereki could not readily provide the hectarage planted.

At its peak in 2000, Zimbabwe produced 170 000 tonnes of soyabeans, with production taking a nose dive since then.

“The challenge we have is that soyabeans has no supporting partners like companies which assist cotton and tobacco growers while banks are reluctant to extend long term loans due to the liquidity crunch the country is experiencing.”

Soyabean is used to produce a variety of high-value marketable products which include soyabean cake (stock feed), soyamilk, soya flour and soyabean oil.

Most of the soyabean produced in Zimbabwe is however, primarily used to produce cooking oil. Soyabeans contribute about 30 percent of all the cooking oil production while cotton seed contributes about 50 percent. – New Ziana.