Ghana To Increase Rice Production

Government is poised to produce 20,000 metric tonnes of “highest grade” quality rice by 2012 to reduce rice importation.

To this end, interventions such as providing the necessary

machinery and promotion of Private Public Partnership policy have been

intensified to enable Ghana to increase rice production to meet the

target.

Mr Fifi Kwetey, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning

announced this during a visit to the Fievie Rice Project in the Volta

Region on Wednesday.

The project is a 30 years lease of 1000 hectares farm land

granted to Global Agri-Development Company to develop rice farm.

GADCO started operations in January and had so far developed and

planted 700 acres and poised to harvest 1500 metric tonnes of rice by

the end of July.

The project is a partnership agreement with the local community

and the South Tongu District to undertake rice production to create

employment to the people.

Ghana currently spends about 450 million dollars annually on rice

importation to augment local demand.

The country’s self-sufficient in the rice production stands at

about 30 per cent, leaving a short fall of 70 per cent.

Mr Kwetey said government would encourage the Millennium

Development Authorities and the beneficiary assemblies to take

advantage of the opportunity to engage the private sector in

developing infrastructural projects and services.

He used the occasion to announce Cabinet approval of the Private

Public Partnership Policy. Mr Daniel Amelorku, District Chief Executive said the project was the beginning of more development initiatives in the district to reduce unemployment.

He said the rice project would be extended within fours years to

4000 hectares to make the district the highest producer of rice in

West Africa.

Source: GNA