Soya Bean export legislation is a priority for nation building - Agric Minister

Friday 6th August, 2021 witnessed the inauguration of the Soya Bean Export Committee at the Conference room of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The Committee is composed of seven (7) members, namely: Mr. Patrick Yaw Nimo, Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI)- Chairman; Dr. Felicia Ansah Amprofi, Director of Plant Projection and Regulatory Services at Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA); Mr. Alexander Dadzawa, Director of Projects at Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA); Mr. Gabriel Kwame Asamoah, Chief Revenue at Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); Mr. Roderick K Daddey-Adjei, Head of Food Division at Food and Drugs Authority (FDA); Mr. Victor Oppong Adjei, National Chairman of Poultry Farmers’ Association and Alhaji Mashud Mohammed of Soya Bean Producers.

The enactment of the Restriction of Soya Bean (LI 2432) on 22nd December 2020, and the subsequent inauguration of the implementing committee will ensure appropriate and efficient regulation of the Country’s export of soya bean.

Soya bean, a highly nutritional source of protein for poultry feed is one of the crops under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) policy. With the advent of the policy in 2017, soya bean has improved in production from 40,000 metric tonnes in 2016 to 200,000 metric tonnes by the end of the 2020 crop season.

This success of soya bean production which was to ameliorate the challenges of the poultry industry regarding feed production has not seen light due to the unregulated influx and exploitation of the local market by foreign players in the industry.

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister for Food and Agriculture joining his colleague Minister for Trade and Industry for the inauguration of the Soya Bean Export Committee noted that, the local industry players can now take advantage of the promulgation of the LI restricting the exportation of the commodity to strengthen local capacity and expand their operations.

The Minister continued that, the local processors would be assured of volumes all year-round which would serve as a big respite for the poultry industry. He further posited that, Government would be assured of the needed taxes from well-regulated exportation through a boost in international trade where advanced orders for produce would be converted into local production by farmers.

This will, moreover, serve as a golden opportunity for researchers to venture into the area of preference by local poultry farmers regarding foreign and locally produced soya bean.

“In a nutshell, this would be a win-win for all actors where farmers will be able to sell more of their produce if registered off-takers are known, and through that, serve as an avenue for the creation of more jobs for the people of the Country”, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto added. Read Full Story