The Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Mr Seth Osei- Akoto, has announced that Ghana will produce 800,000 metric tons of milled rice in 2021.
He disclosed this at the Opening of a two days Agri-Inputs fair held at Tyco Hotel in the Bono Regional capital; Sunyani. The Two days agricultural Input fair and Stakeholder sensitization program organized by African Fertilizer Agribusiness Partnership AFAP was under the theme ”Synergies for agricultural transformation through the value chain approach’’
Mr. Akoto in an interview with Oyerepa News, said, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture has procured quality rice seeds to give to local rice farmers to grow.
According to him, the ministry will supply rice farmers 14,000 metric tons of quality rice seeds for planting in 2021 and it is estimated to cover over 268,000 hectares.
He is optimistic that, the country will in no time attain self-sufficiency in rice production, saying that per the mechanism being put in place, Ghana will in 2021 produce, 1million metric tons of rice for local consumption.
Mr. Akoto used the occasion to appeal to all stakeholders within the rice value chain to support this laudable initiative to help the country cut her high rice importation bill. “This, in turn, will make our economy more resilient and stand the chance of improving the general wellbeing of our gallant farmers” he stated.
