Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) says it is willing to support the development of a National Strategic Plan for the Soybean Value Chain.

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 Bashiru Musah, the Programme Officer, AGRA-Ghana told the Ghana News Agency that the Strategic Plan on Soybean should be a National document that would indicate the direction of the industry concerning productivity and marketing.

He said it should also aim to support the small-holder farmers to increase productivity and ensure food security for the country.

He said the document would also help to navigate the actions of other stakeholders and the kind of support needed to reduce importation.

Mr Musah said AGRA had a good working partnership with the government and that the coalition's demands needed to come from the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

"The entry point is that it needs to come from government," he added.

Mr Felix Darimaani, the National Coordinator for the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP), said the soybean industry was an important sector, providing a key ingredient for the poultry industry.

He said developing the poultry industry meant that there was a need to improve the production of maize and soybean industry to provide the needed feed for the industry.

He said on the development of a Plan for the sector, it needed a comprehensive document to address all the issues along the key value chain and proferring workable solutions.

The National Coordinator for SAPIP said at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, there were some documents and it was important for key institutions to pull that information together, interact with key stakeholders and come out with a strategic document.

He said, "this document should be able to guide the implementation and development of the soybean industry."

Mr Yaw Afrifa, the Facilitator for the Round Table, said the Plan if developed, would be the guiding document for the industry over the next 10 to 20 years.

He said two critical issues confronting the industry were pricing and productivity and it was hinged on demand and supply.

The Facilitator said the pronouncement from the President of making the crop a cash crop should materialize but must start with the development of the document.

"If the Strategy will be possible, there is the need for a strong Value Chain Association," he added.