Huaxia Soybean Biological Silicon Valley Industrial Park, which covers an area of 100 hectare, is under intensified construction at the National Agricultural Scientific and Technological Park in Tianjin Jinnan district. The project is part of the practical things people of insight in the investment and scientific research circles try to do to realize the dream of building a soybean silicon valley in China. In January China Soybean Silicon Valley Organization was officially set up by investment companies and relevant scientific research institutes.

The China Soybean Silicon Valley Organization plans to push forward the joint development of the soybean industry by uniting the strengths of industrial, study and scientific research circles. Regarding the source of funds the organization plans to use itself as a platform of financial capital. While making use of relevant state funds it plans to absorb private capitals and financial capitals in China and systematically introduce international capitals so as to provide full-scale research funds and marketing operation funds for various links of China's soybean industry, from breeding, growing to processing etc.

China is the birthplace of soybean and has had 6,000 years of growing history and more than 2,000 years of processing history. Before the 1950s soybean, tea and silk were the three major export products in China. China's soybean industry was then a national industry that made Chinese proud and heartened. Since the 1950s, however, China lost the status as world major soybean producing country due to various reasons. Now China is ranked 4th worldwide following the US, Brazil and Argentina.

China's soybean-growing technology was introduced to Europe in the 18th century, then spread to Americas in the 20th century and rapidly flourished in Australia and other parts of the world. Soybean processing, particularly the deep processing and end-product processing of soybean also lags behind in China. There are about 12,000 kinds of soybean processing in the US and more than 4,000 kinds in Japan whilst the number is only 2,000 in China.

Li Qingzhan, president of Northeast Agricultural University, said the productions of grains, fruits, meats, fowl and eggs and aquatic products in China lead the world. But China still has a long way to go before reaching world advanced level in processing aggregate and processing level. Developing the deep processing of soybean is to lessen the difference and raise the added value of agricultural products.

Zhu Chufeng, a main initiator of the organization and general manager of Beijing Century Sihuan Investment Co. believes external pressure and internal trouble as well as huge potential are the current situation of China's soybean industry. China Soybean Silicon Valley Organization takes as its goal the comprehensive development of China's soybean industrial chain and hopes to contribute to changing the current situation of China's soybean industry.

Relevant experts believe China's soybean processing still remains mainly at primary stage. According to Development Report of China's Soybean Industry released in November, 2003 primary soybean processing capacity in China is already 50 percent in excess. Zhu Chufeng believes China has lost the status as world top soybean producer. However China's soybean deep processing and end-product processing level in general is approaching that of developed countries such as the US and Japan. In some fields China has surpassed these countries.

Under the common understanding of "building soybean silicon valley and rejuvenating national industry" China Soybean Silicon Valley Organization plans to use soybean deep processing and end-product processing as a breakthrough point for the comprehensive development of China's soybean industry; and look for a new path to realize farmer income increase and solving the problem of agriculture, farmer and rural areas through means such as redistribution of industrial profits.

From the conceiving of China Soybean Silicon Valley Organization to the actual construction and launch of relevant projects such as Huaxia Soybean Biological Silicon Valley Industrial Park there was a marvelous stride. This stride has led us to see hopes for the rejuvenation of China soybean industry.

By People's Daily Online