Soybean Cultivation in Tonk: Banas Valley Agriculture

The fertile alluvial plains of the Banas river valley in Tonk district support soybean cultivation as a kharif cash crop. Rajasthan is a minor soybean producer compared to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, but Tonk's black cotton soil patches in the Banas command area have proven suitable for the JS-335 variety. Soybean is sown in late June with monsoon onset, requiring 18-22 inches of seasonal rainfall. Farmers benefit from soybean's nitrogen-fixing properties, which improve soil fertility for subsequent wheat crops. Local processing units in Tonk town extract soybean oil, with de-oiled cake (DOC) sold as high-protein animal feed. The Rajasthan Oilseeds Growers' Cooperative channels soybean procurement through the MSP system, providing price security. Women's SHGs in Banas valley villages are experimenting with soybean-based food products for urban health markets.