Soybean in Paraguay facts for kids

Soybeans have become super important in South America recently, especially in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Paraguay has really benefited from this huge growth, which has helped its economy grow a lot!

Soybeans Arrive in Paraguay

Soybeans first came to Paraguay in 1921. The first time anyone wrote about growing soybeans in Paraguay was in a document from 1940.

By the late 1970s, Paraguay was a big player in the soybean world. In 1978, an expert named R.C. Schroeder noted that Paraguay and other Latin American countries were selling more soybeans around the world. Before this, the United States had sold most of the world's soybeans for many years.

Why So Many Soybeans Are Needed

Between 2019 and 2020, the countries that bought the most soybeans from Paraguay were Brazil (buying $685,000 worth) and Argentina (buying $489,000 worth). The United States grows enough soybeans for itself, so it doesn't buy much from South America.

Even so, countries to the east have needed so many soybeans that Paraguay's soybean production has grown by 69% in the last five years! This makes Paraguay the world's third largest exporter of soybeans.

As land in Paraguay becomes more valuable, farmers from Brazil and Argentina who have a lot of money and resources have been buying land there. These farmers want to grow even more soybeans. As they expand their farms, they clear more land. This has caused many small farmers and families to move from their homes. These families say they had to leave their land because bigger landowners from Brazil and Argentina moved in.

How Many Soybeans Paraguay Makes

In 2020, Paraguay sold $2.15 billion worth of soybeans to other countries. This made it the 4th largest soybean exporter in the world. Soybeans were the number one product Paraguay sold that year. In 2019, the main countries that sold more soybeans than Paraguay were Brazil ($28.6 billion), the United States ($25.6 billion), and Argentina ($2.31 billion).

2020s Drought Hits Soybeans

In 2022, Paraguay's soybean production was expected to be very low, only about 2.97 million tons. This is 68% less than what they made in 2020/21. The amount of soybeans grown per area was only 900 kilograms per hectare. This is the lowest amount ever recorded in Paraguay's history. Because of this, many factories that turn soybeans into oil are not being used.

See also

In Spanish: Sojización para niños