Collective action needed to boost soya beans production
The Soya Value Chain Association Ghana (SVCAG) has called for a collective action involving government, private sector organisations and individuals to support activities to increase the production of soya beans as part of efforts to diversify the country’s agricutltural produce.
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The association believes soya is a strong potential revenue source for the country and noted that once production of the crop is scaled up to the level of other cash crops like cocoa, it could generate more revenue for the economy.
Ghana's soybean production potential stands at an impressive 700,000 tonnes per year. However, only about 26 per cent of this potential is being realized.
The cultivation area covers an estimated 102,000 hectares of the 250,000 hectares of land suitable for production countrywide.
This discrepancy has resulted in a substantial shortfall in meeting local demand. Compounding the problem, restrictions and disruptions to the importation of soy products due to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have affected the economy including poultry, aquaculture and livestock production
Speaking in an interview with the media at a one-day consultative meeting with stakeholders in Accra, the Executive Secretary of SVCAG, Yaw Afrifa, said the improper coordination among industry actors such as government agencies, private sector and development partners within the soya value chain has limited the potential of the sector.
The event was organised by SVCAG in collaboration with GIZ on the theme “A National Soya Strategy Plan for Ghana’s Economy- Influencing Policy for a Soya-Business Agenda.”
It was to consult with all major stakeholders and actors in the soya value chain for commitment to the development of a national strategy plan.
“We are here to look at a national strategy plan for soya; this is because everybody is trying to do something here, something there, and we are not getting the impact.
Actors within the soya value chain must increase efforts to develop a national strategy to make soyabeans a cash crop,” he said.
Success story
In his remark, the Chairman for SVCAG, Thomas W. Bello, expressed excitement about the success achieved so far in the soya beans value chain in Ghana.
However, he said a lot has to be done to achieve the major objective of creating jobs and sustainable wealth hence the need to develop a national strategy for soya bean to help develop the economy.
“A task is not impossible to achieve. All that is needed is genuine commitment of individuals and collective groups at all levels of the Soya value chain,” he said.
Subsequently, the association petitioned parliament, to revise the legislation that governs the selection process for members of the export control committee.
However, the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central and chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Dominic Ayine, said the process should begin from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which is holding jurisdiction over it.