Dodowa (E/R), Sept. 26, GNA - Stakeholders of the rice industry on Friday proposed a five-year action plan aimed at increasing rice cultivation from the current level of 250,000 metric tonnes to over 750,000 metric tonnes annually. "Our vision is that in the next five years the Ghana's rice industry will provide high quality rice to meet 70 per cent of domestic needs," they said.

This came up at the close of a two-day workshop organised by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to develop a rice industry action plan for enhancing competitiveness as part of efforts to transform agriculture and economic growth, and reduce poverty. Dr Owuraku Sakyi-Dawson, an industry player, ACDI/VOCA, said the MiDA programme was designed to enhance returns on high value cash and food crops produced mainly by poor, smallholder farmers. "It is also to improve delivery of business and technical services with the view of supporting commercialisation and expansion of agriculture," he added.

The action plan would also serve as a map that will guide the activities of stakeholders in the industry. Dr. Sakyi-Dawson said the goal was the transformation of the agriculture sector with emphasis on key crops, including rice and mango, adding; "only transformation will bring about the growth in productivity and quality of Ghana's agricultural products to put money in the pockets our farmers."

Some constraints such as poor seed and variety selection, weak research, high cost of inputs, post-harvest handling practices, lack of labour, policy intervention, high cost of machinery and poor production levels were hampering the work of the industry. Stakeholders therefore called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and regional implementation coordinators of MiDA to strengthen the capacity of farmer-based organisations, develop improved rice production technologies, train farmers in agronomy and water management, among others, to help in realising the vision.