The Coordinator of the "Support to Soybean Development in Ghana" project, Mr Mumuni Iddrisu, has asked the government to increase investment into modern irrigation systems in order to boost an all-year round farming and ensure food sufficiency in the country.
He said it was crucial to reduce over dependence on rain-fed agriculture which continued to impede sustainable food production. Launched in July last year, the project funded by the Japan Embassy to the tune of $600,000 and jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), was to improve the cereals entire value chain and address food security challenges in Ghana.
Speaking at the close-out ceremony of the project in Accra on Friday, Mr Iddrisu enumerated challenges including limited access to improved technologies, non-adherence to good agricultural practices, poor soil and climate change which contributes to low soyabean yields in the country.
Despite Ghana's soyabean production potential projected at 700,000 tonnes per year, only about 26 per cent was being realised posing threats to sectors like poultry, aquaculture and livestock production as well as exportation and local consumption. "Through this project we have supported over 500 smallholder farmers with improved technologies, built capacity along the value chain, supported farmers with equipment, among other achievements," he added.