Defying The Odds! Soybeans Growing In Mindanao: A Challenging, Difficult Journey

Almost two years after I embarked on an ambitious project of propagating Soybeans in field trials in Mindanao, two new varieties whose foundation seeds came from abroad give us bright hope that finally we will be able to propagate this highly-imported commodity vital for poultry and livestock feeds formulation and human food too.
I am now on the second cycle of propagating these new varieties which I established to be better in growth and pods sizes than the local varieties which I earlier planted in South Cotabato and North Cotabato.
By September this year, one of the two new varieties, GGT 111-2024, will be planted in a 150-hectare seed production area in North Cotabato to produce seeds for an estimated 10,000-hectares for our 4th Cycle.
The other variety, GGT 83-2024, is expected to produce seeds good for three hectares for the 3rd Cycle which is projected to yield seeds for 200 hectares in the 4th cycle.
Our Soybeans varietal trials supported by Vetmate Farma Corp., a private agricultural company owned by my friend German Panghulan, will not end with the selection of these two outstanding varieties.
Right now, I am propagating at least four new varieties out of the foundation seeds which I acquired from the U.S. through the help of my American friends from Texas.
Of the four U.S. foundation seeds, I am now focused on at least two varieties which had produced bigger bean pods in the first cycle.
The trials will continue until we have established the most vigorous and productive variety which we could propagate to end the country’s dependence on importation.
Every year, the country imports P120-B worth of Soybeans and Soybean productions, a huge amount of money which could benefit our farmers if we could grow enough locally.
#TheDreamNeverDies!
(First photo shows the plots of one of the two new Soybeans varieties which have shown outstanding performance in field trials in Kidapawan City at five days old while the second photo shows the same plots with the Soybeans already flowering at 45 days old.)