Enhancing soybean productivity and local availability in Region 2 [Cagayan Valley, Philippines]

The program created awareness on the importance of soybean for human, livestock and soil health in Cagayan Valley [Philippines] through promotion of soybean production, food utilization and processing in the uplands and highlands farming communities as intercrop and rotating crop of corn, fruit-trees, sugarcane and plantation crop-based areas even to the extent of backyard/garden-type production. With proper delivery of various project interventions, successful undertakings have been felt due to the establishment of public-private partnership among Local Government Units, DAR [Department of Agrarian Reform]and DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources]. Such intervention aggressively pushed soybean production and utilization in ARCDP-covered areas and the notable interest of the Peoples Organizations composed of CORDEV, MGSK, Esperanza MPCI, Seventh-Day Adventist church/schools, MASREDECA, KERDS, VIBANARA MPCI, Bacnor East Soya Growers Association, Franciscan of Our Lady of Divine Providence, NELAC and Bintawan Soybean Growers and Processor. They are instrumental in the increasing production of soybeans in Region 02 from almost zero in 2010 to 1,750 hectares in June 2017 (cultivated by farmers in 25 farming communities). Furthermore, the program had improved the uplands conventional farming systems, supportive of crop diversification and increase income, soil fertility enhancement, organic farming and food security because intake of protein-rich soybeans means reduced satiety for rice and dependence on disease-causing and expensive animal-based protein foods for improved households health and nutrition. The active involvement of women in soybean food processing empowered them somehow in terms of income generation and as local market of raw soybeans in Cagayan Valley, aside from the households' local consumption of raw materials as protein ingredients for swine indigenous feeding. It is also worthy to note that farming households and even young generations already appreciated consumption of soybeans for reasons of having healthy food lifestyle.