MoFA seeks legal backing to restrict soybean export

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is seeking legal backing to restrict the export of soya beans from Ghana.

The ministry is currently liaising with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office, as well as the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the Legislative Instrument (LI) to that effect.

Ghana’ is ranked as the 46th position biggest soya beans exporter in the world, with the country’s annual export of soya bean totaling US$2.58 million in 2018 with Turkey serving as the top export destination every year.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, disclosed the impending export restrictions, when he recently met with poultry farmers in the Bono Region at Dormaa Ahenkro.

The minister, who was on a tour of the region, observed that sustained production of soya beans is crucial to revamp the poultry industry in the country.

He said with the LI, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture hopes to get the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure that anyone who wishes to export soya beans must first get clearance from the Minister of Food and Agriculture.

It was not for nothing that soya bean was included in the crops whose cultivation is being given state support under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative, Dr Akoto said, explaining that the beans are meant to ensure uninterrupted poultry feed supply in the country.

He reminded the poultry farmers of their strategic role in the Rearing for Food and Jobs initiative, indicating that the US$350 million spent annually importing poultry was “totally unnecessary and unwarranted”.

The government, the minister said, is seeking to return the country back to its glorious days, when Ghana used to be an exporter of poultry products.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Dormaa, Mr Drissa Oauttara, appealed to the ministry to complete an abandoned veterinary laboratory project in the municipality, which was begun over 12 years ago.

He said since the municipality is one of the major producers of poultry in the country, there is the need for a veterinary laboratory in the area to attend to sick birds.