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BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Saturday, September 2, 2017
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DUE to the advancement he has achieved in organically cultivating soya plants and subsequently processing his own yield, a reporter-turned-businessman now wants to share his hard-earned expertise to those who would want to venture into the local soybeans industry.
According to Mer Layson, he has been regularly conducting livelihood seminars for “free” at his residence in Manila every Friday.
Through the seminars, he shares his techniques on how to cultivate soya organically – from land preparation, sowing, fertilization, weeding, caring of the plants, up to harvesting.
Layson also shares his knowledge on how to process the soybeans into nutritious products, like soya milk, soya coffee, soya ice candy, and other related products.
“Through the free livelihood seminars, it is my desire to impart the God-given knowledge to my fellow farmers and to those who would want to venture into this sector in order to promote the local soya industry,” Layson says.
“Aside from the knowhow which was given to me, I also want to share what I have learned from the experts coming from the different government agencies like Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Central Luzon State University, and Bureau of Agricultural Research which is under the DA,” he said.
Aside from the conduct of free seminars, it has been his advocacy to encourage other farmers, and would-be farmers, to venture into soya production and processing.
It was learned from him that 90 percent of the soybean requirement of the country is imported, and only about 10 percent is produced locally.
If soybeans could be produced locally and organically, it can be bought at a more affordable price compared to the imported product.
He says that this is just a way to share his blessings to the other people, and the knowledge which he has achieved.
Layson says that he owes his success to God. “I always put God above anything else,” he shared.
But before achieving the progress they now have, Layson and his wife Mary Ann have to travel a rough journey before they were able to establish their business as soya cultivators and soybean processors.
It was in September 2013 when they started their KKK project with just a modest capital, and after completing a training session initiated by PhilMech.
When asked as to why he is pursuing his advocacy on soya production and processing, Layson says that soya milk contains protein and has the same amount of protein as cow’s milk, which can replace animal protein and other sources of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
But unlike cow’s milk, soya milk has little saturated fat and no cholesterol.
Layson says that soya milk contains no lactose, which makes it an alternative for those who are lactose-intolerant.
Soybean is also a good source of protein, fiber, calcium, lecithin, Omega-3, potassium, zinc, Vitamins C, B1, A, and E, and other health giving properties.
Aside from the success which the couple attained, their KKK venture was also able to generate a modest employment opportunity for several workers. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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