Kwame Danso to have a rice processing mill

Kwame Danso (B/A), Aug 6, GNA- Sene District Assembly in Brong Ahafo is to establish a 300-million-cedi Rice Processing Mill at Kwame Danso, Mr Isaac Sunkwa Hyiaman, District Chief Executive, said on Tuesday.

Briefing newsmen at Kwame Danso, he said the project, expected to take off by the end of the month, will be managed by the Danso Rice Processing Co-operative Society and will be funded by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Social Investment Fund (SIF), Technoserve, an American non-governmental organization (NGO) and the District Assembly.

Mr Hyiaman said the project will boost rice production in the area by enhancing its quality and marketing to increase the incomes of the farmers.

He expressed the hope that the establishment of the mill will relieve the farmers of their problems that include the purchasing of the crop in its raw state by middlemen at cheap price.

Dr Kofi Afakye, District Director of Agriculture, said the district produced one of the best local rice popularly known as 'Danso' rice.

The district produces between 10,000 and 14,000 tonnes of rice annually, but only 15 per cent of production can be processed "because the locally made machine is unable to de-stone whilst the percentage broken is very high'', he said.