The head of women in Agriculture Development and an Extension Officer in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, Madam Hilda Huadze has urged the government to stop politicization of rice importation, and rather shows commitment to the rice industry by helping local producers if truly it want to end importation of rice by 2022.
It will be recalled that the deputy minister of Food and Agriculture, Kennedy Nyarko Osei has revealed that Ghana is working around the clock to cease the importation of rice in the country based on the recent projections.
According to him, the government is already working hard to ensure that rice imports will come to an end by 2022.
It follows the success chalked as the country did not import maize between January and September this year due to increase in local production.
Kennedy Nyarko Osei said “we import billion dollars of rice into the country but the Agric Ministry led by Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto is determined that by the end of 2022 we will stop importing rice from other countries based on our projections.”
Meanwhile, madam Hilda Huadze alluded that if the government will commit itself in providing Market Avenue for the rice producers, it will help sell their produce.
She cited the school feeding and the free senior high school programs as major markets for the local rice producers but, cautioned politicization of rice importation and the industry would be limitation to the success of government’s transformation agenda.
“The local rice producers are doing well, but all they need is a little support from the government in terms of packaging to make the local rice attractive for buyers,” she added.
Source: ritefmonline.org/Akosua Mavis
Source: ritefmonline.org/Akosua Mavis
