Rice farmer groups commend government for 'eat Ghana rice campaign'

Nyame na aye and Adom wo wiem rice farmer associations in the Sefwi- Waiwso Municipality and Bodi Districts of the Western North Region have lauded the government for taking up the "eat Ghana rice" campaign.

According to the groups, Ghana would have been exporting rice to other countries if the campaign was given the needed support and commitment.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, Mr Oduro Sarfo, president of Adom wo wiem Cooperate Rice Farmers Association, said the campaign had helped increase the number of bags they sold annually, which had subsequently boasted the local economy.

He disclosed that customers from other parts of the country now buy from them which hitherto was not the case.

He commended the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) at both Sefwi- Waiwso and Bodi Districts for supplying them with free seedlings and subsidized fertilizer.

For his part, Mr Kwame Ahi, President of Nyame na aye Rice Farmers Association, mentioned lack of power tiller machines and the lack of storage facilities among others as some of the challenges facing rice farmers and appealed to the government for assistance.

He also called on other corporate institutions to help them brand and package the rice in order to export them to earn foreign exchange for the country and also help reduce employment rates in the country.

Mr Ahi also advised the youth to take advantage of the government flagship programme of planting for food and jobs, so as to create their own jobs and not depend on the government for the non-existent jobs.