A group of Ghanaian investors have embarked on a programme to develop the cultivation and production of soyabeans to serve as the next major agricultural export after cocoa.
Mr Herman Seshie spokesman for Pointer Limited, who are investing in the project, told journalists in Accra that the decision to promote soyabean stems from their belief that agriculture plays a crucial part in poverty reduction.
He explained that since the crop is traded on the world commodity market, his company wants to establish soyabean farming as one source of wealth creation in the disadvantaged areas of Ghana.
He also reiterated that Pointer Limited has taken measures to identify major buyers and markets in Germany and Holland and is on the verge of concluding with shippers, who will ship the produce from Ghana to these markets.
“This is a very crucial part of the marketing strategy. Once this is concluded it will eliminate any threat of a glut in the country that might ultimately discourage the farmers. We want to give the farmers a guarantee that no matter the quantity produced, there will always be buyers,” he concluded.
He said the company will motivate and organise the soyabean farmers in all parts of the country, assist them with extension services and expose them to the sources of funding available with a view to increasing output, improving quality and providing market stability.
He said the three-month crop needs less field attention as long as the ground is wet and seed is good. He said the three northern regions have 34,000 peasant farmers already engaged in the production of the commodity.
According to Mr Seshie, areas of comparative advantage for soyabean production include the Guinea Savannah, transitional and the deciduous forest region and the coastal savannah areas of the country.
He said in addition to improving the farmer’s income, soya’s nutritional values have been well documented and that it is a cholesterol-free with high protein.
Mr Seshie also cited the example of New Zealand, which alone imports 20 million litres of soyabean oil and almost 20,000 tonnes of soyabean flour and meal that are used directly for human foodstuffs as well as in animal feeds particularly poultry. “Soyabeans have become a major crop on the world scene with USA, Brazil and China as the main producers,” he said.
According to Mr Seshie, the introduction of soya bean food supplements for animals will to a great extent eliminate the present scourge of foot and mouth and mad cow disease that have plagued European farmers
