According to the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute, the Amhara region is extensively cultivating soybeans, with the major cultivating zones located in Awi, West Gondar, Central Gondar and West Gojam Zones.
Due to its great productivity and easy access to markets, this bean has become preferable to sesame, in addition to being the most effective rotational crop for low-lying West Amhara zones.
Amhara region has planted soybeans on 241,943 hectares (ha) of land as of 2014 E.C. (2021–22 G.C.), which is 97% of the 250,000 ha annual plan.
To produce 7,500,000 Qts of soybean, 115,065 smallholder farmers planted 22,106 Qt of C2 enhanced seed and 172,477 Qt of native seed.
249 purchasers have signed contract farming agreements with the 47,957 farmers who grow soybeans on the basis of contract farming. The farmers anticipate receiving 9,295,379,320 ETB under the agreed contract agreement.
According to reports, the smallholder farmers that utilized inorganic (NPSZn/B) and biofertilizer and engaged in contract farming with potential purchasers had reaped the greatest rewards. As per ATI, the availability of technologies like better seeds, bio fertilizer, planting, harvesting, and threshing machinery would result in an expansion of the production area in the near future.
