Soybean Oilseed Presses

Impact on Nepal

There is no apparent negative impact on Nepalese citizens resulting from the export of a soybean press from Canada to Nepal, and it is expected that the technology should have a positive impact Nepalese farmers and communities alike. Since there are already substantial imports of Soybean oil from other nations, the press should not create competition among Nepalese farmers, but should instead make soybean oil and soybean meal more accessible by increasing local production (FAO, 2015).

 

Marketing Plan

The oilseed press would not be marketed to individual farmers, but would instead be targeted towards farming communities, because of the moderate capital investment required to purchase the technology. A community-based approach would allow the capital investment to be split amongst several farmers, allowing them to rotate through the use of the equipment. For example, if 14 farmers invested in one oilseed press, then each farmer would have access to the machine for one day every other week. This would allow each farmer to have fresh soybean meal for their livestock and a constant supply of soybean oil, thereby providing them with a less fragmented income stream throughout the year. There would not be a substantial number of these units purchased in Nepal, meaning that a stand-alone distribution chain would not be feasible for this product. Instead, it would be more efficient to join the distribution channel for similar equipment that is already being sold in Nepal. For example, Agricultural Equipment Factory Ltd is an agricultural equipment and seed distributer located somewhat centrally in Birgunj, Nepal (Nepal Business Database, 2015). If the Agricultural Equipment Factory or a similar business could be secured as a distributor of the Canadian oilseed press, Nealese farmers would be able to purchase the equipment from an already trusted retailer.

 

Further Research

Feder et al. (1985) combines extensive research on the adoption of agricultural innovations in developing nations and draws the conclusion that it is difficult to predict whether a new technology will be adopted in a developing nation because there are several social, cultural and economic influences. Further analysis is required to better quantify the potential market among farming communities in Nepal and their willingness to uptake the technology; however, based on the critical analysis in this report, it can be concluded that the export of an economical soybean press to Nepalese communities can give them a competitive advantage for soybean production. Having local access to a soybean press would allow Nepalese farmers to produce a quality protein supplement for their livestock with many opportunities for the oil itself.