Mr Bashiru Musah Dokurugu, the Interim Country Manager, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Ghana says the development of a National Strategic Plan for the Soybean Value Chain will help address concerns of the industry.

He said the Strategy was necessary to serve as a guideline for the development of the whole Soybean Value Chain.

Mr Musah was speaking at the Soybean Round Table Discussion Meetings held quarterly on the theme: "The National Soya Bean Development Plan: Building Synergies, Creating Partnerships."

The Strategic Plan, which is being advocated by the Soybean Round Table, an advocacy team within the Value Chain, is to enable the crop to gain the needed recognition and support.

Mr Musah said the document was needed because of a disconnect in the processing and marketing of the Commodity.

The Interim Country Manager said there were many complaints from producers such as the inability to get the right varieties planting, which could not yield 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare.

"What they are currently producing is 0.6 to 0.8 metric tonnes per hectare," he added.

He said this was far below the potential yield of most of the new varieties that were in the market and there was a disconnect between that farmers produce and the volume processors needed.

Mr Musah said: "the strategy will help stakeholders to understand, who is doing what and what support services are needed to build their capacities to up their game to produce surplus."

He said it was increasing the income of Value Chain actors in the Soybean Value Chain.

The Interim Country Manager said Ghana currently imported 70 per cent of Soybean which should not be the case.

He said one of the strategic directions was to provide clear objectives on the volume of production in the next few years.

"In the short term, we will be targeting the increase in the productivity of the Crop in terms of capacity building and making sure farmers have the right variety at hand," he said.

He said in the medium term to long term, the country should look at self-sufficiency in Soybean production to reduce the importation of the Commodity.

Mr Yaw Afrifa, the Facilitator for the Round Table, said critical issues confronting the industry were pricing and productivity and it was hinged on demand and supply.

He said the Platform was lobbying stakeholders for their input, adding that the meeting sought to share technical information and make resolutions to help keep a vibrant and sustainable Soya Industry in Ghana.

He said AGRA has accepted to fund the strategy document, and "we expect the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to take up the development of this document with support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry."