Domestically Grown Non-GMO Soybeans Shift to the Domestic Market

(Taiwan Business News) The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station has partnered with industry to develop related products such as edamame and soybean milk from domestically grown non-GMO edamame and soybeans that were long destined for export, pivoting to open up the domestic market.

The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station stated that the total export value of Taiwan's edamame products last year reached 68.59 million USD, the second highest in 20 years, with a market share of 42.1% in Japan, having held the top spot for sales to Japan for 6 consecutive years, far ahead of competitors such as mainland China and Thailand.

The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station pointed out that for a long time, Taiwan's edamame has been mainly for export, and many people in the country greatly enjoy domestically grown non-GMO edamame and soybean products, but simply do not know where to buy quality products, leaving great room for expansion in the domestic market.

The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station stated that soybean farmers use Taiwan's land to grow the world's best edamame, and it is only right that this should give back to the people of the country. Therefore, the Kaohsiung Station has matched several mass merchandisers and processing businesses to make soybean milk (including tea soybean milk and black soybean milk) and soybean-wheat soy sauce, black bean soy sauce and other products from domestically grown edamame or soybeans.

The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station and industry have specially set up the official Facebook page of the "Taiwan Edamame Alliance", allowing consumers to buy export-grade related products directly from the businesses.

The Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station pointed out that fully immature soybeans are edamame, a health food that Japanese people greatly enjoy. The new edamame variety bred by the Station - Kaohsiung No. 11 "Xiangmi" - when made into soybean milk, gives off a fascinating faint taro fragrance amid a rich soybean aroma, making it a new choice for health and wellness.

In addition, the yellow soybeans, black soybeans, tea beans and green beans developed by the Kaohsiung Station this year have also been processed, in cooperation with industry, into quality soy sauce, soybean milk and other products, which consumers can buy at hypermarkets such as Carrefour and Taisugar Mass Merchandisers or on their websites.