Amid trade trip, McDonnell announces Virginia soybean export deal with Japan distributor

RICHMOND, Virginia — A Virginia producer will supply the soybeans used to make a fermented breakfast food in Japan.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the new export agreement Wednesday between Montague Farms in Center Cross and Tokyo importer Sun-Tommy International Co. McDonnell is amid a trade mission that has brought him to Tokyo.

Financial details of the export deal were not released by the governor's office.

Montague Farms has a huge footprint in Virginia, contracting with other growers for more than 15,000 acres of field crops. The soybean so coveted by the Japanese is used in natto, the breakfast food that is considered a delicacy there.

Montague must meet strict standards demanded by the Japanese, including the size, shape and color of the soybean. The soybeans also must not be genetically modified.

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