MAASI NEWS

Patronize Locally Produced Rice

Story By: Elizabeth Frimpong :

Local rice farmers in both Asutuare and Akuse in the Eastern Region of Ghana have urged Ghanaians to patronize the consumption of locally produced rice to that of the foreign rice. This they believe will prevent poor market for the locally produced rice and financial loss to the local rice industry.

In an interview with Mr. Charles Tettey , General Secretary to Osudoku Rice cooperative society on Rite 90.1 FM morning show program, FEED the FUTURE (FtF) Platform, on Tuesday April 5, 2016 has revealed the challenges the local rice industry in Ghana is going through. Notable among them are; capital to expand the business, machines to harvest the rice, problem of advertising the local rice, competition by importers and the packaging of our locally produced rice. He pleaded on the Government to reduce the importation of the foreign rice to compel Ghanaians to patronize the local rice.

Miss. Regina Ayorkor Mensah, Leader of Women Rice Farmers also added that, although the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB) has been assisting them and promised them of providing machinery but they have not fulfilled all their promises yet. She said that, GRIB has been organizing training programs and guidelines for them. However, they are still calling on them to step up with their interventions.

In furtherance, she entreated the Government to consider the local rice as a priority like that of the  cocoa industry and invest into it and also concentrate on it more than the foreign rice. She added that, Government should again supply them with the machines and the capital needed for the rice business.

The Executive Secretary of Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB), Mr. Evans Sackey-Teye  on the same radio platform assured the rice farmers that, their outfit is putting measures in place to fulfill all their promises to them. He explained that, a rice training school and Rice Business Center for GRIB in Asutuare will be inaugurated by the end of  April this year.

Source: ritefmonline

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