The attractive returns are encouraging more farmers to get into the field and increase the acreage under soyabean. Last year, soyabean covered 4.98 lakh hectares in the Kotah region with production rising to around 6.30 lakh tonnes. The yield per hectare thus rose to 1,265 kg. Soyabean fetches a price of around Rs 900 per tonne as against Rs 340 in jowar. The crop duration, in the case of soyabean, is around 75 days as against the 120 days in jowar. And the value addition is by two to three times.

The mood at the Agriculture Department is upbeat, more because of the rampant use of the new seed varieties. There are in all 62 varieties of seed available in the country.

Plans are afoot to increase the area under soyabean to around eight lakh hectares by the end of the Ninth Plan period, Purshottam Agarwal, director at the state's Agriculture Department said. However, judging by the interest shown to this crop, the area could well cross the 10-lakh hectare mark. Agarwal admits that the jowar production in the state has accordingly fallen due to this.

In the case of soyabean, the seed replacement rate is a meagre five per cent because the same seed could be used for at least ten crops. And this is the main reason for the market demand not picking up. Good quality seed of soyabean is available in the market at around Rs 19 per kg. In one hectare of land about 65 kg of seed is required.

PK 472, JS 335, JS 80-21, and Max 58 are some of the known varieties of soyabean seeds commonly used in the state.

Rajasthan presently occupies the number three position in the country in soyabean cultivation and production with the number one position going to nearby Madhya Pradesh. In Maharashtra too the soyabean cultivation is being made over large areas. Newer areas in Chittorgarh, Banswara, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Tonk districts of Rajasthan are being brought under soyabean.The area under soyabean has grown ten times and production, over 14 times in the last fifteen years in Rajasthan.

The market for soyabean oil is immense in developed countries. Some of the major consuming countries are the US, Brazil, Argentina and China.