Ghana needs targeted investments to address 60 percent rice importation

Mrs. Emily Boahene, Executive Secretary, Ghana Grain Council, says targeted investments by the government and private sector are needed to address Ghana's 60 percent rice importation concerns.She said Ghana's 60 percent importation of rice made the country vulnerable to global economic shocks, which further threatened its food security.The Executive Secretary spoke at the Ghana Grains Forum held in Accra.The 2024 edition was under the theme 'Climate Change and Sustainable Food Security: Collaborative Responses to Ghana's Grain Crises'.The event underscored the prevailing national discourse on Ghana's grain potentials in view of the dry spell in the northern part of the country.Experts say the prevailing national crises could significantly affect Ghana's grain supply, further worsening food security since grain is considered to be a major staple food for the country.The Executive Secretary said targeted policies to reduce rice importation must prioritise investments in irrigation infrastructure, p ost-harvest management, and market linkages.The targeted investments she noted could double Ghana's rice yields from 1.2 metric tonnes to 4.8 metric tonnes annually.She said although countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast had higher rice consumption than Ghana, they had low rice imports.That, she said, was due to a robust local production mechanism by those countries.The Executive Director stated that soyabeans, another grain, held the prospect of increasing Ghana's export earnings and local production capacity.She asserted that Ghana generated annual export earnings of $29 million through soybean exports.Despite those achievements, she said Ghana lagged behind major soybean producers such as South Africa, Zambia, and Nigeria.The Ghana Grain Forum also featured panel discussions, which comprised major players and experts within the grain industry space.The panel, comprised of business owners and academics, called for a multi-sectoral and decentralised approach to enhance Ghana's grain yield s.The experts held that a decentralised approach would promote the inclusion of local communities in the supply chain of grains at the community level, which could increase yields and promote employment.?They advised that the multi-sectoral approach must include key relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Works and Housing, Academia.Mr. Daniel Fahene Acquaye, Founder, Agri-Impact Limited, urged the government to explore innovative solutions to improve grain yields in the country.The innovative solution, he said, must include the utilisation of research findings from academia on new seedlings.Dr. Abu Sakara Forster, an agriculturalist, said interventions in the grain sector must be targeted at three key sectors, notably finance, technology, and marketing.Source: Ghana News Agency