Players in the rice value chain within the African Continent have resolved to build a robust framework that would ensure a sustainable way of reducing the import bill of rice within the sub-region.

Over nine million tonnes of rice was imported into the West African sub-region, representing about $3.4 billion of import bill in 2021.

Speaking at a stakeholder meeting and the launch of the Competitive Africa Rice Platform Ghana, Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Robert Ankobiah urged players in the sector to support the consumption of locally produced rice to help reduce the high import bill of rice recorded in country.

“We invite all Ghanaians to be able to take seriously the campaign to eat Ghana rice because it is only by that we will be able to achieve the goal that we are all looking at. If we don’t patronize our own, then we will be creating market for those outsides”.

Chairman of the Competitive Africa Rice Platform Ghana, who is also, the Convener of the Rice Millers Association of Ghana, Yaw Adu Poku stated that local rice farmers are facing difficulties leading to the destruction of their produce at the farm gates due to lack of storage facilities.

“It is a matter of storage, preservation and milling that is what makes it look like a glut but it’s not. We do not have the preservation well-tuned, so storage is minimal. And so the rice is left to the mercy of the weather and that makes the harmattan affect the rice as it is. Overnight its dries up and breaks pod. And that makes it difficult to mill. This is what we have been experiencing year-in-year out’, he said.

On her part, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, HE. Harriet Thompson pledged her commitment to support to localization of rice production to meet the demands on the continent.

The launch of the Competitive African Rice Platform Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP) was under the theme, Partnership to Transform the Ghanaian Rice Ecosystem through the ECOWAS Rice Observatory Ghana Chapter-CARP.