Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Ampomah suggested what he termed a comprehensive approach to boosting local rice production in Ghana.

He was optimistic rice production in Ghana can be up-scaled if government and other key investors decide to channel more resources to that sector.

Though he indicated that an active role by these two players could reduce rice importation, Mr. Ampomah was quick to add that, these efforts should be complemented with a rigorous sensitization on locally produced rice, and a constant irrigation of farm lands across the country.

Mr. Ampomah admitted that, though successive governments have always been committing some sort of efforts into reducing the importation of rice, the dream of drastically reducing rice importation can be achieved if the above mentioned suggestions are considered.

“The good news is that, there are irrigated lands that are lying there, that are not being used so the potential is considerably great and production can be up-scaled to the extent where we can get that 70 percent mark. I will say that, if government or anybody wants to support that effort [Reducing rice importation], it is possible and we can do that. We can actually do this in five years or even less than that. Once we develop these irrigated farms, we will be able to produce enough to replace the importation. We can get a very good percentage produced locally. But more investors need to come on the field in terms of agriculture. Also on the market, more people need to sensitize Ghanaians about eating local rice and the nutritional content ..It is a comprehensive approach.”

Rice import costs Ghana US$500m annually

In 2016, the Director of Finance and Administration at the John Agyekum Kufuor Foundation, Victor Kufuor, revealed that Ghana was spending  500 million dollars every year through the importation of rice.

Mr. Kufuor said this posed serious challenges to local rice production, making it noncompetitive in the local markets.

He said the taste for foreign goods by Ghanaians have grown in recent times, affecting the country’s balance of trade.

“We are importing over 500 million dollars worth of foreign rice. Why should we do that? Even some of the countries we are mentioning we probably are even better than them,” he said. The statistics comes at a time when the Trade Ministry is campaigning for Ghanaians to embrace and promote ‘Made in Ghana Goods’.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The machine was part of products that was showcased on Friday by the University of Ghana’s Technology Development and Transfer Centre.

The newly developed technology is capable of boosting Ghana’s rice production to an average of about seven tons per hectare as against Japan and South Korea’s average of six tons per hectare.

[contextly_sidebar id=”qcrH2jXp8eo5WmVLVaWXV92g1zMqkO0s”]The one day exhibition was aimed at showcasing to Ghanaians and the world the Universities’ technologies developed by its students.

According to Dr.  Joseph Ofori, a research fellow at the University of Ghana, extending the technology to many farmers in the low lands will enable Ghana produce more than it is current producing capacity.

“We have about 800,000 hectares of low land for rice production and if we are able to produce a third of this area we should be able to get enough rice and even export,” he said.

“One positve aspect of this technology is that we don’t use heavy machinery but rather simple and afffrodqble machinery for production . In many of the low land areas and irrigated systems, usually bulldozers are used to clear and level the land. But this one it is simple machinery called power tiller,” he explained.

Appetite for imported rice
Ghanaians have over the years developed a voracious appetite for imported rice due to its dominance in the market as well as its perfumed nature.

Dr. Joseph Ofori noted that the preference of consumers is being incorporated in the newly developed rice production system.

“We don’t just produce any rice anyhow. We normally produce what they call fragrant or aromatic or perfume rice. We produce what is comparable to what is imported into the country. What we have been asking farmers to produce is very tasty and healthy,” he said.

Gov’t assistance to produce more rice machines

In his view, there is the need for government to assist rice farmers acquire more of the power tillers to expand their work as well as “help in the exploitation of underground water in places not close to water bodies for which this technology was developed.”

“About the processing bit of rice production we need factories. Ghanaians are very sophisticated when it comes to rice consumption . The rice should be good enough for them and shouldn’t have any foreign materials in them. So we need good rice mills to process them. If we so this and the rice is bagged well then we will see that the consumers are alright with it,” he advised.

One district one rice factory
Picking rice as a major commodity , Dr. Joseph Ofori was certain the country could possibly exploit the idea of one rice factory for each district across the country citing the vast array of lands available.

” In Ghana, from the north to the south, we have lands. In the Northern Region for instance we have a vast land which is called the flood plain which could be developed for rice production. And when it comes to the south, we have valleys. So, there shouldn’t be problem at all developing rice industry in each district,” he pointed out.

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By: Kumi Obed Afari/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UG builds technology to boost rice production in Ghana  appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.