Soya bean is derived from a wild plant of East Asia. The soya bean is economically the most important bean in the world, providing vegetable protein for millions of people and ingredients for hundreds of chemical products. Soya beans grow well on almost all types of soil, with the exception of deep sands with poor water retention. The origins of soya bean plant are obscure, but many botanists believe it to have derived from a legume native to central China. Soya beans are marketed as most other major bulk commodities. The soya bean is the most nutritious food of the bean family; it is one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein. It is also a staple in the diet of people and animals in numerous parts of the world today.

Thai soya bean
The beans are high in protein and oil content which are suitable for human consumption, processing for various kinds of food products as well as animal feed. Soya bean grains and soya bean meal are two categories of commercial soya beans.
Soya bean grain is classified in three classes for its size and protein content. An average of 8,000 tonnes of frozen soya bean are exported each year. Thanks to the Orient melamine-contamination scandal that our quality soya beans have captured the world’s demand and interest. Japan is the main importer of Thai soya beans. The other importers that follow are United States and EU.
Soya bean meal is one of the important commodities for Thai economy since it is used as raw materials for animal feed. The production of quality and safe soya bean meal is, therefore, important. About 2 per cent of Thai soya bean meal is also used for soy flour and other products for human consumption. There are three kinds of soya bean meal produced in Thailand:
1. Full-fat soya bean meal.
2. Defatted soya bean meal no hull.
3. Defatted soya bean meal with hull.