ACCRA: Ghana is looking to reduce rice imports, with the 2nd Ghana Rice Festival, aimed at promoting locally-grown rice.
The 3-day exhibition which was launched at the Efua Sutherland Park in Accra on Friday October 13, is hosting existing and emerging local rice growers, processors and distributors who are showcasing several brands of local white and brown rice, and other rice products.
Exhibitors at the festival are optimistic it could raise awareness of local rice brands and boost their patronage soon.
It is being organized by the Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body and the Rice Advocacy Council (GRIB), with support from a number of bodies including USAID, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, and the German Development Corporation GIZ.
Rice is said to have become Ghana’s second staple and Ghana’s demand for rice in 2014 was over 700,000 metric tonnes, with imports accounting for at least half of the demand.
President John Mahama, who is currently out of the country, former President John Agyekum Kufuor and other dignitaries present, were unanimous in their call for promotion and marketing of locally-grown rice.
President Mahama whose speech was read on his behalf, said government recognizes not only the nutritional but the economic value of locally grown rice through the possible foreign exchange earnings, job creation and the alleviation of currency depreciation that would result from cutting imports.
“The rice industry has capacity to create wealth, jobs and support the economy. The Ghana rice festival will ensure that our locally produced rice is well patronized while encouraging our farmers and traders to increase production and close the deficit gap of about 56 per cent”
He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture recently partnered the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts to promote consumption of local rice and chicken and to see how the hospitality industry could reduce imports.
President Mahama that Ghanaian farmers are currently reaping less than 50 per cent of the yields that could be had if farmers were employing the use of improved seeds, fertilizer and other agronomic practices.
Former President Kufuor said agriculture must drift away from subsistence and be treated as a business so that just as cocoa production rose to the million tonne mark, rice could also each similar production levels.
“If the farming population is about 60 per cent of the entire population of Ghana and it does well, Ghana shouldn’t have the problems we are having such as graduate unemployment”, he said.
Prof Baffour Agyeman Duah, Chief Executive Officer of John Kufuor Foundation said: “This whole idea of sitting by for us to be fed by non-Ghanaians; importing basic commodities that we can produce – this is a blight on us as a people. It’s a shame we need to reverse immediately”
Mr Amoro Imoro, President of the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB) said the body which lacks a permanent office, would soon establish one to provide various services to rice growers and processors such as mechanization services, grain drying and storage services, marke-oriented advisory services, business development services, and book-keeping and accounting services.
GRIB will also be collaborating with the FDA and the Ghana Standards Authority next year, to improve the quality and marketability of locally-grown rice.
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