SoyInfo Center

Brief Chronology of Soybeans in Mexico and Central America

1585 – Mexico: Soybeans may have been introduced to the botanical garden at Acapulco by Chinese merchants traveling by Spanish galleon from Manila (Gonzalez de Mendoza 1588).

 

1877 – Mexico: Soybeans are now in Mexico (Blavet 1877, p. 7).

 

1904 – Costa Rica: Soybeans are first cultivated in Costa Rica (Leon 1947, p. 20).

 

1905 – Cuba and Costa Rica: Packets of inoculated soybeans or soybean inoculant are sent by George T. Moore of the USDA; 2 packets to Cuba and 1 to Costa Rica. These may well have resulted in soybean cultivation (Moore 1905, p. 42-43).

 

1911 – Mexico: Soybeans are first cultivated in Mexico (Khankhoje 1936, p. 14-15).

 

1924 – Canal Zone: Soybeans are first cultivated (Johansen 1924).

 

1926 – Guatemala: Soybeans are first cultivated (Bukasov 1930, p. 541).

 

1932 – El Salvador: Soybeans are first cultivated (Kaltenberg & Legros 1936, p. 187T-89T).

 

1944 – Honduras: Soybeans are first cultivated (Gattoni 1945, p. 5-7).

 

1958 – Panama: Soybeans are first cultivated (Landero 1962-63).

 

1960 – Mexico: Large-scale soybean production begins, increasing from 13,000 tonnes (metric tons) in 1961/62 to 106,000 in 1967 to 699,00 in 1975 to 832,000 tonnes in 1987. Mexico has always been by far the largest soybean producing country in this region.

 

1963 May – British Honduras (later renamed Belize) is an early recipient of soy-based Multi-Purpose Food sent by Meals for Millions from southern California.

 

1966 – British Honduras (later renamed Belize): Soybeans are first cultivated at the Central Farm (King 1967?).

 

1967 – Nicaragua: Soybeans are first cultivated (Shepherd & McCormick, p. 9-10). However, they may well have been cultivated as early as 1948 (Leon 1947) or 1937 (New York Times, 1936, Nov. 30, p. 31).

 

1975 – Guatemala: The first soyfood products (soy flour, and textured soy flour) are introduced to Guatemala by Alimentos S.A. (Orellana and von Thaden 1975, p. 42).

 

1979 – Costa Rica: The first soyfood product (Nutrisoy) is launched in Costa Rica (McLeod 1982).

 

1980 – Guatemala: Tofu (queso de soya) and soy ice cream (helado de soya; fruit flavors) are introduced by the Soy Dairy (Centro de Soya) at Barrio San Bartolo, Molina Belen, Solola, Guatemala, with important help from Plenty Canada and Plenty USA (Jenkins, Praskin & Praskin 1982).

 

1985 April – El Salvador: The first soyfood product (Horchata de Soya)  is launched by Soyavyn (Kris Duville 1992).

 

1994 July – Nicaragua. The first soyfood products (tofu, tempeh, soymilk, okara croquettes, and soy ice cream are launched in Managua by Nutrem Soy Shop (Gabriel 1995, p. 4).

     

Present status of soybeans in Central America: According to statistics from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in marketing year 2007/08:

      Production of soybeans (in 1,000 metric tons): Mexico 76, Guatemala 36,  Nicaragua 2.

      Imports of soybeans (in 1,000 metric tons): Mexico 3,650, Costa Rica 240, Guatemala 25,  Panama 4.

      Imports of soybean oil (in 1,000 metric tons): Mexico 230, Guatemala 93,  Panama 28, Nicaragua 27, El Salvador 20.

      Imports of soybean meal (in 1,000 metric tons): Mexico 1,475, Guatemala 295, El Salvador 171,  Panama 155, Honduras 135, Nicaragua 72, Costa Rica 40.

      Crushing of soybeans (to make oil and meal) (in 1,000 metric tons): Mexico 3,700 (down from 4,610 in 2000/01), Panama 4,000.

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History of Soybeans in Central America