The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the Fanteakwa South District Assembly, has announced the launch of a rice production project in Bosuso.

The Eastern region’s Bosuso town, a lowland waterlogged and marshy area, has been found suitable for growing rice, sugarcane, and oil palm, among others.

Mr. Ernest Ofosu, District Chief Executive for Fanteakwa South, told the Ghana News Agency that farmers had expressed interest in the project and that more than 60 landowners were registered.

He said about 160 acres of land have been made available and that the project would reduce the amount of rice imported into the country while also bolstering local food supplies.

He also stated that local rice production would not only be for consumption but would also create many jobs for youth within and outside the district.

Mr Suleman Ishaq, a rice farmer in Bosuso, said the implementation of the project would provide employment for many people in and out of the town, as well as sell the town’s name.

“This is an opportunity to resurrect the dead Bosuso market,” he said. “Once the rice is produced in larger quantities, it will be sent to the market, where people from both inside and outside of Bosuso or the eastern region will be eager to buy.”

He described the project as a fantastic one and expressed his readiness to pursue it.