To Seethe amongst the Soya

These lush plants are soya. Despite the bitterly cold spring weather we had in the Island this spring these plants have thrived and are coming up to the point when their pods can be picked.

They are legumes and are nitrogen fixing. They need very little attention apart from the addition of some potash to the soil. Although you cannot see it in this shot the plants have dozens of small pods each containing two beans. These can be eaten and are quite a high source of natural protein.

I was asked to grow these plants for experimental purposes by a lady who can see considerable commercial promise in their exploitation. They are not genetically modified and consequently, if suitable varieties can be found, there is much to be said in growing them on our Island well away from GM contamination. They have not previously been grown here commercially.

The lady had got to the stage when she wished to occupy premises to turn soya in to a variety of foodstuffs such as tofu.

She came to me is a distressed state yesterday and told me that her every attempt to establish the plant had been frustrated by petty fogging officialdom and that she was giving up the project in the Isle of Man and was going to resume the project in Holland.

The irony of is that this week the Manx authorities have been trying to encourage local food producers, who are beginning to have a hard time because of cheap imports.

I am just left speechless by this situation.