Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, has reiterated the call on Ghanaians to patronise locally produced rice for their naturally rich nutritional value and to give the producers the opportunity to expand production. He said the Upper East Region, playing its part in boosting rice production, had focused on expanding the rice valleys of Fumbisi, where the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), was encouraging farmers to cultivate more rice using the block farming method. The Minister made the call when he received 95 bags of maize and 50 mini bags of local rice on behalf of the flood victims in the region, from the Volta River Authority (VRA). He said due to the increased rice yield in the region the government had made available five combined harvesters to collect the rice in good time before bush fires set in and had trained personnel to operate the machines. Mr Woyongo announced that three of the trained personnel on their way to the valleys after the training in Tamale died in an accident. He thanked the VRA for the help and said it would help the people who lost their farm produce in the flood. Alhaji Mohammed Siam, Principal Community Relations Officer, VRA, who presented the items, said it was part of the company's social responsibility to help those in need and that similar donations had been made to people in the Upper West and Northern Regions.Source: GNA