Manny Piñol
A 1,000-square meter lot in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato could yet make history as the birthplace of the country’s modern Soybeans Industry.
In that small area of my farm, a total of 56 new Soybeans varieties from all over the world had been sowed in elevated plots to test which of these would perform well under Philippine conditions.
As far as I know, this is the biggest collection by a private group of Soybeans varieties ever in the history of Philippine Agriculture.
Two of these new varieties which came from India are already in the flowering stage.
The 54 new germplasms of different Soybeans varieties are now being planted.
Each of the varieties had been properly identified and will be studied.
Those that will show outstanding growth and yield will be selected for propagation.
The positive results of these trials may not benefit Filipino farmers immediately as it would take at least 4 cropping cycles to produce substantial volume of seeds.
All of the packets of germplasms I received from foreign supporters contained only 50 seeds.
This historic undertaking would not have been possible without the support of friends and supporters who believed in my advocacy to promote Food Self-Sufficiency.
Also, I would like to thank the Bureau of Plant Industry under Director Glenn Panganiban for the facilitation in the entry of the germplasms into the country. (Manny Piñol)