By Austin Ofori:
Agric Extension Officers at the Lower Manya Krobo municipality in the Eastern Region have introduced the AGRA rice, a new variety of rice into the system. This according to them is expected to play a vital role in rice production in the country.
Noting the advantages of the new variety, Mr. Philip Amoah who is in charge of Agric Extension of the municipality pointed out that the Agriculture Green Revolution Africa, AGRA rice is better in quality and yields more than the other types available. Another advantage he noted was that the AGRA Rice is resistant to a number of diseases adding that it also has great taste.
Mr. Phillip Amoah in an interview with Rite news indicated that it’s a project of its own and the aim is to produce quality seed rice for farmers. He said Ghanaians have developed appreciable interest in the local rice and so they have to produce quality seed rice to meet the demands of the general public which is why they have introduced these to farmers in the municipality.
According to Mr. Amoah, the Department of Agric last year conducted a pilot project on the AGRA rice at Akuse where nineteen farmers in nineteen farms were used. The outcome he noted was very good. This he said has encouraged them to increase the number to cover thirty farmers this year and that very soon they will start nursing, adding that the new variety looks really different.
One issue he noted meanwhile is that though the initial rice was distributed to the farmers as food seed to be replanted after initial harvests, the farmers have rather resorted to consuming and selling their produce, instead of replanting the produce.
On the issue of the processing of the AGRA rice, Mr. Amoah assured that women in the district would be mobilized for them to be taken through some training on how to package this type of rice so that it can attract more market than what they are currently doing.
This he envisaged would increase the consumption of local rice in Ghana. He was optimistic that the introduction of the new variety would contribute positively to the rice sector.
Source: ritefmonline.org
