Rice Project Launched

Vice President John Dramani Mahama, yesterday launched a 17.3 million Euro Rice Sector Support Project (RSSP), aimed at boosting lowland rice production in the country.

He said the Project is one of several strategies the government is embarking upon to revamp the local rice industry to meet domestic food demand.

Vice President Mahama said apart from maize, rice is the second most important cereal crop in the country and noted that its consumption has increased with total annual consumption reaching 500,000 metric tons.

He said statistics indicates that over the last several years, production of the crop has fallen to about 10 per cent of national demand, making the country to heavily depend on imported rice.

The Vice President said more that 600 million US dollars is being used to import rice, meat, fish and other products into the country annually, adding that this substantial foreign exchange could have been conserved for more urgent national needs.

He said that the government is determined to reverse the trend within the next few years by producing food not only for local consumption but for export.

Vice President Mahama appealed to Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) to allow the government integrate the RSSP into the block farming programme.

He said the government intends to identify rice lands in the districts where the Project will be implemented and bring farmers in those areas together to enhance mechanisation and extension services.

The Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) is partly funding the Project with 13.8 million Euros.

Mr. Francis Hurtut, French Ambassador to Ghana in a speech read for him by Mr. Benoit Lebeurre, Resident Manager of the AFD, said the Project covers a period of five years and is aimed at developing rice production in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and the Volta Regions.

He said under the Project, 6,000 hectares of lowland will be developed with water control infrastructure and technical support to farmers.

Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina, Northern Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, called on the youth in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions to take advantage of the project and go into farming rather than migrating to the South in search of non-existent jobs.

Source: GNA