ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The People’s
Republic of China is seeing
soybeans in a new light as it up
dates its food industries. After 30
years of isolation, China is lear
ning new technology for soybeans,
a food source centuries old.
China needs a nutritional,
adequate food supply to support its
population. More than one-fifth of
the world’s people call China
home, and more than one-third of
those people are under age 15. With
a high birth rate and long life
expectancy, China’s population of
one billion is projected to grow by
400 million by the year 2000.
China was one of the
countries to discover the soybean.
Centuries ago, China began using
soybeans as food. While China
isolated itself, technicians and
researchers in other countries
discovered the soybean and
developed new processing
techniques and food uses for it.
Dr. Joseph Rakosky sheds light
on modern soybean use. He is a soy
protein consultant for the
American Soybean Association
(ASA). ASA builds farmer profits
by developing markets for
soybeans.
Rakosky traveled to China
recently for ASA to relate U.S.
soybean developments to the
Chinese. “It is in our best interest
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S.
Department of Agriculture has
suspended certain provisions of the
Middle Atlantic federal milk
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China sees soybeans in new light
to work with the Chinese to in
crease soy use in foods,” Rakosky
says. "China is a country with a
land problem; tillable land on
which to grow food for so many
people is scarce. Agriculture
claims almost 249 million acres, or
about a quarter of an acre per
person. Japan has more than twice
as much cultivated land per
capita, India three-and-a-half
times as much and even
Bangaladesh and Indonesia are
marginally better off. China buys
only limited quantities of U.S.
soybeans now, but land limitations
mean it will have to import more
soybeans to meet future demand.”
He adds, “China sees soy as a
food solution. Prcessors want to
use it as protein in infant and baby
foods, in foods for the elderly, and
in snack, convenience and frozen
foods.
“They have a lot of interest m
soymilk. China has a short supply
of cow’s milk. The government
gives it only to very young children
and people who medically need it.
China has some soymilk
production, but soymilk lacks
consumer popularity. Processors
need modern flavoring and
processing techniques to mass
produce and appealing product.”
During Rakosky’s three-week
trip he held technics' ■*—
Order 4 reg changed
marketing order for December
1983 through February 1984.
Edward T. Coughlin, dairy of
ficial with USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service, said the action
suspends the requirement that
limits diversions of milk directly
from dairy farms to nonpool
plants. He said Inter-State Milk
Producers’ Cooperative requested
the suspension.
Basis for the action is the an
ticipated change from pool to
nonpool status of three distributing
plants associated with the market.
These plants, which are outlets for
a significant proportion of Inter-
•IT*
soybean processing, soy protein
and soy foods. He toured and an
swered questions at processing
plants in Beijing, Harbin,
Shanghai, and Wuxi.
“Overall, the Chinese have a lot
of catching up to do,” says
Rakosky. “Typical of developing
countries, they want to make
everything themselves. I tell them
they don’t need to make their own
mistakes to learn. The U.S.
soybean industry can supply them
with raw soybeans and protein
products. It is to both of our ad
vantages.”
HE observes that China’s soy
processing industries need better
communication between each
other and with government
ministries.
“Sometimes the right hand
doesn’t know what the left hand
needs,” Rakosky says. “Suppliers
and users don’t have the same
quality specifications for product
materials. Some users
manufacture their own raw sup
plies because what the suppliers
give to them isn’t good enough to
make their product.”
Rakosky recommends
aggressive marketing of new
products. “The Chinese make new
products and put them on the
grocery shelf... and that’s it.
State’s milk supply, have in
creased their Class II uses of milk
while their Class I sales have
remained constant or declined.
Coughlin said that this situation
could result in increasing Inter-
State’s diversions above the limits
of the order. No comments op
posing the suspension were
received by AMS during a recently
ended public comment period and
two other cooperative associations
expressed support for it.
airc
Consumers must take all initiative
in trying them. Many soy products
would fare better if people knew
they were buying high protein
nutritious food.”
Rakosky gives china high marks
for industry improvement. “The
Clunese want their soy industry to
grow,” he says. “They are very
proud of quality and recognize soy
food value. The Chinese food
Welsh family
(Continued from Page E 24)
Swiss to dot the Welsh’s Holstein
herd with brown, but the first as
well to go to Farm Show com
petition under the Ponderosa sign.
Since Abigail’s acquisition, the
family’s collection of Swiss has
steadily grown through breeding
and additional pruchases.
But tragedy struck in March
1982, when a fire swept through
part of the dairy replacement
raising area, killing ten calves,
most of them offspring of 4-H cattle
families. Among the ten lost to the
flames were four top Brown Swiss.
A large percentage of heifer
calves bom this past year has
helped to compensate for the
tragic loss and swelled Mike’s own
herd of Swiss to 18.
“Someday I’d like to mer
chandise them,’’ says the veteran
dairy exhibitor, a sophomore at the
York County Vo-Technical school,
purusing studies in woodworking
and cabinetry.
In the ten years since the Welsh
family has been increasing their
Swiss entries in Farm Show
competition, they’ve seen the
breed grow in popularity.
“There’s a lot more competition
in this breed now than there was
when we first began showing
them,” says Emilie.
Pennsylvania Brown Swiss
Association president Don Trimble
confirms that view.
processors are learning very fast
and building model plants.
“China is not looking for a
handout. They will pay for this
technical exchange one way or
another,” predicts Rakosky. “We
may not have orders for U.S.
soybeans yet, but China is going to
outgrow its soybean supply; and
U.S. soybean farmers will be there
to fill the soybean void.”
“The most dramatic increase
has been in the last couple of
years,” affirms the Quarryville
Swiss leader. “Dairy farmers are
adding them to their herds to boost
butterfat and protein, and there
are a few more showing.
Trimble figures the trend toward
colored breeds in general will
continue, boosted by industry
moves toward replacing the
butterfat pricing standard with one
of component or protein pricing.
There are currently about 300
Brown Swiss organization
members in Pennsylvania, ac
cording to state secretary Audrey
Queitzsch of Mifflintown.
“In 1982, there were about 60 new
Brown Swiss breeders in Penn
sylvania,” she says. “Our goal for
1984 is to sign up those new
breeders as association mem
bers.”
Most of those are dairymen
adding Swiss to their herds of
Holstems, with the goal of boosting
their protein, solids and butterfat.
Pennsylvania, lowa and Wisconsin
now are the three predominant
centers of Brown Swiss, according
to the secretary.
So the trend toward increasing
numbers of Swiss, like the out
standing herd being bred by Mike
Welsh, can bode only good news for
the merchandisers of these gentle,
big, brown cows.