Promoting Canadian Agrifood Exports; Soybean Seed to Nepal By- Chris Watling

Introduction to Nepal - Nepal is a small country that lies between India and China, where most of it’s people depend on agriculture to make a living. - Around 66% of the population relies on agriculture for employment and accounts for 39% of the country’s GDP. However, Nepalese crops are sometimes devastated by droughts and pests which significantly affect the yield of their crops. -Because of this, Nepalese farmers struggle to get by and many of them cannot even grow enough to provide their families with food for the entire year. (http://www.fotolibra.com/gallery/434654/village-woman-nepal-farming/) (http://nepal.saarctourism.org/nepal-map.html)

Export idea- Export GMO Soybean Seed My solution to the problem that Nepalese farmers face is to grow high yield GMO soybeans from a Canadian company such as Firstline seeds, a company based out of Guelph Ontario that specializes in soybeans. Firstline Seeds provides GMO soybeans that have been specifically bred to produce more pods per plant which contain more seeds per pod to significantly increase yields compared to the conventional soybean. Firstline seeds are also partnered with Monsanto which means these soybeans are also roundup ready herbicide resistant and will aid in pest control. (http://www.fitho.in/guide/beans/soybean/) (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soybean_fields_at_Applethorpe_Farm.jpg)

About the Soybean The soybean is an oilseed that is native to East Asia and is grown around the world for it’s numerous uses Soybeans are approximately 36% protein, and 20% fat which makes the soybean prized for it’s nutritional value The soybean meal is a cheap source of protein that is widely used in livestock feeds The main food product produced from the soybean, is the soybean vegetable oil. Other various food products produced from soybeans include soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, natto, and tempeh to name a few. (http://www.eatbydate.com/other/condiments/how-long-does-soy-sauce-last-shelf-life/) (http://hiddensoy.com/)

Benefits of Growing Soybeans in Nepal Soybean has been grown in the lower altitude, low fertility soils in Nepal before, but there is need for genetic improvement and better practices for larger yields. Soybeans contain a very high fat content as well as a high amounts of protein which makes soybeans and the oil that can be extracted from the soybeans an excellent food source and would provide many meals for farmers and their families throughout the year. Nepal also has many types of livestock such as cattle, poultry, goats and more so the excess soybean or soybean meal is an excellent way to feed these animals. (http://www.yourveglife.com/soy-beans-misunderstood-beans) (http://rawfoodsos.com/for-vegans) (http://www.ishanherbotech.com/animal-feed.html)

Benefits to Canada from Exporting Soybean Seed Firstline Seeds is a Canadian company partnered with Monsanto and is based out of Guelph Ontario where their research center is located. The increased sales that would result from exporting this product would require higher production of soybean seed which would create more jobs for Canadians (http://philipshaw.ca/2009/12/24/oohrah-within-the-world-soybean-complex-canadian-soybeans-find-their-niche-2/)

University of Guelph in parnership with IDRC, CIFSRF, and DFAIT. By- Chris Watling University of Guelph in parnership with IDRC, CIFSRF, and DFAIT. Faculty Sponsor; Prof. Manish Raizada (raizada@uoguelph.ca) Total presentation time ( 4 minutes 15 seconds ) References- -Eastern Ontario AgriNews. (2002). First line seeds 20 years of soybean innovation. Retrieved September 6th, 2014, from http://www.agrinewsinteractive.com/archives/article-3542.htm   -Firstline Seeds. (2014). Company info. Retrieved September 4th, 2014, from http://www.seedtoday.com/companies/FirstLine_Seeds.html -Government of Nepal. (2014). Department of agriculture. Retrieved September 5th, 2014, from http://www.doanepal.gov.np/ -Monsanto Company. (2014). Advanced traits. Retrieved September 6th, 2014, from http://www.soybeans.com/advanced-technology.aspx -Sharma, K. P. (1994). Soybean production in nepal:Past and future achievements. Retrieved September 5th, 2014, from http://www.iaas.edu.np/journal/vol-15/soybean-production.htm For more information on the product visit -http://www.seedtoday.com/companies/FirstLine_Seeds.html