File photo: A soybean farm
Kambang Cooperative Food Farmers and Marketing Society Limited has organised a training for small-scale farmers on soybean production.
The event, held in Tamale and sponsored by Agricultural Manufacturing Group Limited (AMG), sought to build the capacity of farmers in the Northern Region to improve on soybeans and maize production through the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
Mr Henry Oto-Mensah, General Manager of AMG, said the effort was to empower about 27,000 farmers economically and help create employment through sustainable business models.
He said soybean is a profitable cash crop as well as a high quality protein source, which would help meet the protein needs of many, hence the need to improve on soybeans yields to promote food security in the country.
Mr Oto-Mensah said soybeans production has thus far met the standard of importation as well as the industrial needs in the country.
He advised farmers not plant the soybeans seeds more than two inches deep, which could put the seed at the risk of running out of carbohydrate reserves before emergency and increased risk for infection from soil pathogens.
He also advised farmers to use quality seeds to reduce risk of pathogen infection.
Alhaji Mashud Mahammed, Chief Executive Officer of Kambang Cooperative Food Farmers and Marketing Society Limited, said soybeans plays an important role in the nutritional and economic development of humans as it is a major source of protein.
He said the country spends a lot of money to import soybeans even though there is the potential to produce soybeans locally.
Mr Mahammed urged stakeholders in the sector to support government to enhance farmers’ capacity to produce more soybeans and maize and help ensure food security.
AMG is the second largest importer of fertilizer, which assists farmers to increase both crop and food production in a sustainable manner.
