The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has announced that rice farmers would receive rice mills by the end of the year.
The mills, according to the Ministry will arrive from Brazil as part of the government’s plan to support farmers under phase 2 of the Ghana COVID-19 alleviation and revitalization of enterprises support (CARES) Obaatanpa programme.
The Ministry said the initiative will add value to tice production in the country and prevent post-harvest losses.
A statement issued by the Ministry said: “As at now what we are putting out is looking at the tomato value chain, looking at poultry, rice and soya. All these crops involve the use of fertilizer; they also may require the extension service delivery, the use of chemicals and other agro-inputs so this has been catered for. We are looking towards the end of this year. We will be receiving some farm machines from India and Brazil. We are bringing in some smallholder rice mills because if you travel across the length and breadth of this country, the rice-producing areas do so much but at the end of the day they have post-harvest losses, and it is high time we add value, so we are looking at that aspect, and we are hoping that by the end of the day these machines would have arrived in the country for distribution to the rice farmers in the country”.
Background
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in September this year disclosed that the government would soon import machinery to boost rice production and other agricultural yields in the country.
The Ministry said the agriculture machines were expected to be purchased from Brazil and India.
This came to light when the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, visited the Global Africa Development Company (GADCO), a rice farm and processing factory at Fievie in Sogakope in the Volta Region on—Sunday, September 26 to Monday, September 27, 2021.
He said it was his expectation that by the year 2023-2024, Ghana would be agriculturally stable, especially in rice production.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana