
U.S.-BRED TOFU SOYBEANS OFFER FARMERS
OPPORTUNITY By Jill Lee November 28, 1998Four new soybean breeding lines
developed especially for tofu production will offer small-scale farms new
business opportunities. The Agricultural
Research Service breeders who developed the lines say one in
particular--NTCPR92-40--shows exceptional promise. NTCPR92-40 has high protein and yields just 5 percent less than conventional
varieties. Beans from the new line are three times bigger than Pearl soybeans,
an earlier tofu breeding line release. Large size is important in tofu soybeans
because bigger beans swell more and make tofu production easier. NTCPR92-40
grows best in the climates found in the Southeastern United States. The four new lines produce clear-eyed soybeans--the round spot
on the hull isnt brown, another important selling point. Their seed coat
and meat are a creamy yellow-white color, highly prized in tofu processing. Large farms that handle a high volume of beans might not be well-suited for
tofu-soybean farming, since beans for tofu production must be free of chips or
stains. But small-scale farmers who are willing to take extra care in handling
their beans could reap the rewards of the higher prices paid for tofu soybeans.
The United States has about 100 tofu processors. U.S. shoppers now spend
$130 million to $150 million on tofu each year and they are doubling their
consumption of tofu every three to four years, according to the Soyfood Center
of Lafayette, Calif., which monitors tofu consumption trends. Scientific contact: Thomas E. Carter is in the USDA-ARS
Soybean and
Nitrogen Fixation Research Laboratory, 3127 Ligon Street, Raleigh, N.C.
27695-7631; phone: (919) 515-2734, fax: (919) 515-7867; e-mail:
[email protected] U.S. Department of Agriculture | |