The Ghana Soybean Farmers and Aggregators Association has reiterated its call for the repeal of the Export and Import Restriction of Grains Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2467), stating that the law has failed to achieve its intended goals.
Abdul Hakeem Issah, Director of Administration for the association, explained that the restriction has disrupted the soybean market, forcing buyers to seek alternative sources in Benin, Togo, and Nigeria, while Ghanaian farmers are left with excess produce and no buyers.
The export ban, which was initially introduced by the Akuffo Addo – Bawumia government to ensure local processing factories had enough access to soybeans, has left farmers and aggregators in a difficult situation as processors are still unable to purchase the commodity.
“We want the current government to lift the ban and allow the export of the commodity, especially soybean. Currently, there are a lot of soybeans in the system but all the buyers have diverted to the other countries. They are in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. They are finding it difficult to come to Ghana just because of the announcement government is placing ban on export of soybeans. The exporters are not coming. Farmers have the soybean and yet there is no market. So it’s a constraint. We don’t understand why the previous government was so much interested in placing the ban,” Abdul Hakeem Issah said.
In addition to addressing the export restrictions, the association is urging the government to reconsider its fertilizer financing policy. They argue that free fertilizer programmess have often been mismanaged, functioning more as political patronage than as assistance to actual farmers.
Issah has called for the removal of all taxes and levies on fertiliser imports and local production to make the product more affordable.
“Instead of government bringing in fertiliser to be able to pay some monies to the dealers to reduce the price, why don’t the government reduce all taxes and all levies on fertiliser so that the commodity will become cheaper,” he suggested.
