Also keeping a close eye on the crop is grain merchant and seed specialists, Philp Brodie Grains, with company spokesman Peter Brodie noting the CSIRO-bred variety has both Japanese and overseas ‘parentage’ to make it more suitable for producing quality tofu and soy milk.

Meanwhile, Glenn Porter said the crop was planted into a good soil moisture profile on Boxing Day and had been flood-irrigated for the first time some two weeks ago.

Sprayed once for green vegetable bug, Mr Porter this week continues to evaluate paddock moisture levels ahead of a final watering in the run-up to harvest.

“Even then, I think they’ll still need a bit of rain afterwards – to fill out the pods,” he said.

“I think they’ll easily do a tonne to the acre and if we catch a shower or two, they could go 1.5 tonnes.”

The icing on the cake will be the prices which currently are ranging between $600-$700/t, leaning towards the higher figure.

This will be a welcome reward since the past five years have been “pretty terrible,” according to Mr Porter.

“We haven’t grown soybeans for eight to nine years but the crops (this year) are putting a smile on our faces,” he said.

In addition to the 12ha paddock being inspected by Mr Porter over the Easter break, the Porter family has another 60ha paddock of soybeans, reportedly looking “just as good”.

The wish for the enterprise, also neighbouring producers in the district, is for another two or three back-to-back good seasons.

Philp Brodie Grains’, Peter Brodie, said the new Bunya variety was in its second year of release.

With many soybean varieties known for their oil bearing characteristics, the culinary appeal of the new variety looks to be its main attraction.

“It’s got a big seed, higher protein and has good disease resistance,” Mr Brodie said. “It appears it’s going to perform pretty well in southern Queens-land and north-western NSW.”

Describing this year’s Bunya release as the “first real commercial crops”, he said another variety, Fraser, currently was being grown for seed on the Downs. “That’s looking good as well,” Mr Brodie said.

With harvest due in about a month, world soybean prices are at record levels, and mirroring grain prices, requiring Philp Brodie Grains to ready its grading plant to accommodate the crop.

“While water’s needed to finish things off, it’s all looking good and the prices are great – it’s a good opportunity for the grower,” Mr Brodie said.