To say that Gaurav Agrawal is a proud customer of U.S. Identity Preserved (IP) soybeans would be an understatement. He wears an IP pin like a badge of honor and goes out of his way to show others in his home country of Nepal the high quality and taste of his products made with IP soybeans.
Agrawal is the director of Shree Radhe Rani International Trading, a company founded by his father Arun more than five decades ago. Their company processes soybeans into products such as soy milk, tofu, soy flour and soy nuts.
Gaurav first heard about U.S. IP soybeans about five years ago when the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) connected him with the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA), where he learned about IP’s health benefits and how the crop could also benefit his company financially.
“(IP) gives uniqueness, it gives me consistency and it gives me high protein, but all in all it gives me complete confidence that if I invest my time and money into this product that I’m going to get my return,” Agrawal said. “And there’s the social responsibility aspect as well because – unfortunately – Nepal has a protein deficit, and these soybeans could also help us fight protein deficiency in my country.”
After learning about the benefits through relationships built with USSEC and SSGA, Gaurav and Shree Radhe Rani jumped at the opportunity to become the first company to purchase U.S. IP soybeans in South Asia in 2023. Agrawal said the landmark purchase provided an opportunity for his company to continue standing out in the marketplace and get ahead of the competition.
“This is how we work – our company deals a lot in specialty products, and I still remember my grandfather teaching my father when I was still a very young kid that until your product stands out or has something different, people aren’t going to search you out,” he said. “I still follow that same idea today.”
Grateful feeling
Almost immediately after receiving the first shipment, Agrawal’s team went to work delivering samples to retailers and processing the soybeans into soy snacks and products. To further set itself apart from others on the shelves, Shree Radhe Rani will soon begin carrying the Identity Preserved United States logo on its products containing soybeans imported from the United States. Agrawal believes that when consumers see an American flag on the packaging, they know they will be getting a high-quality product.
“The IP logo speaks a thousand words because it has the American flag on it, but most importantly it gives people confidence,” said Agrawal. “People know that if a product is imported from the U.S. that it must be of high quality.”
The switch to U.S. IP soybeans from India or Nepalese-origin soybeans has made a significant difference in not just the quality, but the taste and texture of Agrawal’s products.
“With the roasted soy nuts, the size, the crunchiness and the taste are all different, and regarding tofu and soy milk there is a much better texture, and the beany flavor is less,” Agrawal said. “All in all, we are having a very good experience with IP soybeans.”
Overall Agrawal gets great joy in being able to offer a good product, but more importantly to carry on the family legacy and contribute to its success.
“Had I not joined the business my father would have had to make a tough decision on whether or not to continue, so this is an emotional factor to be able to continue my ancestral business,” Agrawal said. “I also feel grateful to be in the position to collaborate with people and agencies such as SSGA and USSEC, and to be able to share the knowledge, which is vital for any company to grow.”
