The Manitoba Advantage in Soybean Production

Manitoba is an ideal location for growing soybeans, with production expanding to most regions of the province. The province is the second largest producer of soybeans in Canada.

There is significant demand for soybean meal and roasted soybeans to supply feed to the growing hog industry in Manitoba. The province's soybean production, coupled with the large hog industry and the province's commitment to increase biodiesel content from 2 per cent to 5 per cent, creates an opportunity for a potential soybean-processing facility (oil and meal).

 

Manitoba's Soybean Industry 

Soybeans account for the third largest seeded area in Manitoba, following canola and wheat, with 1.3 million acres sown in 2021.

Manitoba produced 1.16 million tonnes of soybean in 2020.

Manitoba produced 18 per cent of all soybeans in Canada in 2020.

Domestic soybean production of specialized, high quality, food-grade beans target local and foreign markets, with Japan, Singapore and Malaysia being of particular importance.

Processors:

Industry Associations:

Market and Consumer Trends

The protein content of soybean is around 38.7 per cent. Soybeans are used to make a range of food products, such as soymilk and tofu, as well as industrial products such as biodiesel and printing ink.  The global food industry offers many highly specialised soybean protein ingredients including concentrates, isolates and textured soybean protein.

Producers in Manitoba are looking for ways to bolster protein levels in the crop to supply high-protein feed to the hog industry and to increase yield from extraction.

Research 

The University of Manitoba has a Research Agronomist focusing on soybean and pulse crop agronomy and cropping systems.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research stations in Morden and Brandon are researching pulse and soybean disease issues.

Contact

Email: Manitoba Agriculture