BARISHAL, Mar 17: Barishal has achieved record soya bean cultivation this Rabi season, yet the crop's potential to contribute to the country's edible oil supply remains largely untapped due to inadequate marketing systems and limited access to modern farming technology.
Despite the region's vast soya bean acreage and growing production, most of the harvested seeds are diverted to poultry and fish feed, leaving negligible impact on domestic edible oil availability.
According to officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), who requested anonymity, the majority of soya bean seeds produced in Barishal are purchased by feed manufacturers rather than edible oil producers. As a result, despite annual increases in soybean production across Barishal and other regions, the seeds play a minimal role in reducing reliance on imported edible oil.
This Rabi season, farmers in Barishal cultivated around 44,000 hectares of soya bean, exceeding the Ministry of Agriculture's target by approximately 103%. Last season, farmers in the region planted about 35,000 hectares, producing roughly 100,000 tonnes of soya bean compared with an earlier estimate of 73,000 tonnes. Barishal alone contributes nearly 40% of the country's total soya bean production.
Nationally, last Rabi, 92,000 hectares were planted with soya bean, surpassing the target of 86,000 hectares, producing over 160,000 tonnes-more than double the initial target. Despite these figures, domestic production of soya bean and other oilseeds remains insufficient to meet local edible oil demand. More than half of the country's edible oil and oilseed requirements are still met through imports, draining valuable foreign currency reserves.
Agricultural scientists note that Barishal's riverine and char areas offer vast potential to expand soya bean cultivation. However, experts stress that alongside increasing acreage, there is an urgent need to establish local oil extraction facilities such as ghani presses and modern machinery. Currently, the country imports over 80% of its edible oil. Even with around 160,000 tonnes of locally produced soya bean seeds, the seeds are almost entirely purchased by poultry and fish feed factories, leaving minimal availability for edible oil production.
Despite the growing cultivation of high-yield soya bean varieties in Barishal, the crop's contribution to domestic edible oil supply remains negligible. Middlemen for feed factories procure seeds directly from farms at pre-determined rates, bypassing edible oil producers. To date, no significant edible oil manufacturing company has sourced seeds from farmers or wholesalers, meaning almost the entire 160,000 tonnes of soya bean seeds are absorbed by the feed industry. Experts estimate that current production may reach over 100,000 tonnes this season.
Soybean is highly nutritious, containing 40-45% protein and 19-22% oil, making it more beneficial than most legumes at a relatively low cost. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has developed around 40 high-yield varieties of oilseeds, including six improved soybean types. Among them are Sohag-PB-1, Bangladesh Soybean-4 (G-2), BARI Soybean-5, and BARI Soybean-6, capable of yielding 1.8 to 2 tonnes per hectare. These varieties are suitable for Barishal's riverine and sandy soils.
BARI and the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) continue research on high-yield and improved oilseeds, including soybean. Agricultural scientists believe that distributing these improved varieties to Barishal farmers could allow the region to produce at least 200,000 tonnes of soybean seeds within five years. However, most farmers still lack access to quality seeds and modern cultivation techniques.
Experts argue that establishing local oil extraction facilities would enable Barishal-produced soybeans to satisfy a significant portion of the South's edible oil demand. This step would also positively impact farmers' incomes and strengthen the agricultural economy. Without proper technology, marketing, and local processing infrastructure, the region's potential remains largely untapped, limiting the contribution of one of the country's most promising oilseed crops.
