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Innovations in soya bean crop production

Farmer's Weekly

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Farmer's Weekly 5 August 2022

New varieties and technology are ensuring that local soya bean producers are now better equipped to compete with farmers in other production areas around the world

- Magda du Toit

Innovations in soya bean crop production

FAST FACTS

The local soya bean industry has been expanding, thanks to better access to new varieties.

The South African Cultivar and Technology Agency collects and administers breeding and technology levies for self-pollinated crops in South Africa.

Local production of soya bean increased from 1,3 million tons during the 2016/17 season to 2,09 million tons during the 2021/22 season.

The expansion of South Africa’s soya bean industry is a success story that has led to more sustainable cultivation practices, greater processing capacity, and the substitution of imported soya bean oilcake and oil with locally produced products. In business terms, it has been a win-win situation for all involved.

The grain and oilseed industries have found a way to fund technology and cultivar development in open-pollinated lands (crops pollinated naturally by birds, insects, wind, or human hand) in South Africa by means of a breeding and technology levy.

In 2016, the South African Cultivar & Technology Agency (SACTA) was created to collect and administer breeding and technology levies for self-pollinated crops in South Africa.

SACTA is not linked to a specific commodity. It addresses only the need to advance the breeding of self-pollinated grains and oilseeds by collecting a levy at the first point of sale or delivery and paying breeding and technology levies to seed companies and plant breeders based on estimated market shares.

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