The Neptune Forum, a high-level global gathering convened by Mission Neptune, brought together world leaders, scientists, diplomats, policymakers, economic actors, and ocean advocates to strengthen international cooperation for the sustainable management and preservation of the world’s oceans.

Speaking on the theme, “International Governance in a Fragmented World: Ocean Governance and Ghana’s Perspective,” Hon. Emelia Arthur highlighted the critical role the ocean plays in Ghana’s history, economy, food security, and cultural identity.

She noted that while technological advancements have significantly improved humanity’s understanding of the ocean through real-time vessel monitoring, artificial intelligence, marine data collection, and seabed mapping, major challenges remain. These include declining fish stocks, threats to marine biodiversity, increasing vulnerability of coastal communities, and persistent maritime insecurity.

The Minister emphasized that ocean governance must go beyond resource management and focus on equity, shared responsibility, and sustainable development.

She outlined Ghana’s Blue Economy vision, which integrates sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine spatial planning, strengthened monitoring and enforcement systems, and community stewardship within a unified governance framework.

Hon. Arthur further drew attention to the disproportionate challenges faced by developing countries, particularly African coastal states, in combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

She stressed that IUU fishing is not only an environmental concern but also a matter of economic justice, food security, and national sovereignty.

Calling for stronger international partnerships, the Minister advocated increased investment in scientific capacity building, technology transfer, and access to marine data and digital infrastructure.

She argued that Africa must not only consume ocean knowledge but also contribute to its generation and application.

As part of her address, Hon. Arthur proposed five guiding principles for the future of global ocean governance: Equity, Stewardship, Scientific Sovereignty, Recognition of Indigenous Wisdom, and Collective Security.

She concluded by reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to building a fairer and more effective system of ocean governance, stating that the ocean can serve as a bridge in a fragmented world when cooperation is founded on fairness, shared responsibility, and respect for the people whose livelihoods depend on the sea.

The Neptune Forum serves as a platform for advancing international dialogue on ocean governance, scientific exploration, climate resilience, and sustainable development, positioning the ocean as a cornerstone of global stability and multilateral cooperation.

The post Ghana calls for equitable ocean Governance at Neptune Forum in Paris appeared first on AgricToday.

The Federation alongside its partners GEPA and Eximbank Ghana, extends our sincere gratitude to all exhibitors, sponsors, media partners, and stakeholders for the overwhelming support received so far.

To avoid clashing with several major national and international business programmes occurring in June and to ensure maximum participation, media visibility, and commercial value for our exhibitors the Expo has been moved to September 2026. This adjustment also comes with an upgrade to an exceptional new premium venue.

UPDATED EVENT DETAILS:
New Dates: 3rd – 5th September 2026
New Venue: The Palms Convention Center, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra Theme: The Ghana Horticulture Expo ’26.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience this scheduling adjustment may cause. We are confident that this new window will allow us to deliver a world-class event that maximizes networking and market opportunities for the entire horticultural value chain.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership. Please update your calendars we look forward to welcoming you in September!

For urgent inquiries, please contact us at: +233 24 345 7783 / +233 53 522 4555

The post The 3rd Ghana International Horticulture Expo (HORTI EXPO 2026) postponed to 3rd – 5th September, 2026 appeared first on AgricToday.

The President was received by the Governor of Brest, Piotr Alexsandrovich Parkhomchik, and senior officials of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry before touring one of the country’s largest agro-processing facilities.

The visit formed part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and examine best practices that could be adapted to enhance agricultural production and value addition in Ghana.

During the tour, President Mahama was taken through the facility’s advanced dairy processing operations, which include the production of baby food, milk, cheese, and milk powder for both domestic consumption and export to international markets.

Accompanied by his Presidential Advisor and Special Aide, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, as well as Ghana’s Ambassador to Moscow, Dr Jehu-Appiah, the President observed the various stages of the plant’s high-tech production processes and engaged officials on the technologies driving the facility’s success.

In his post-tour remarks, the president noted Ghana’s commitment to adopting modern processing techniques to transition from smallholder farming to large-scale commercial agriculture.

“We are here to tap into Belarus’ vast experience as we work to make Ghana self-dependent in food production,” he stated.

He added that a primary goal of the visit is to identify technical solutions to reduce post-harvest losses, which is a major challenge for Ghanaian farmers.

Managing Director of the company, Aleksandr Savchits, revealed that they recorded over $1.4 billion in profit last year. The company has also recently begun exporting dairy products to Ghana and is looking forward to expanding the volume of exports as bilateral trade ties strengthen.

President Mahama extended an invitation to Belarusian investors to partner with Ghanaian business associations, citing a mutual benefit for both nations.

Belarus currently stands as a global leader in the export of dairy products, including milk powder, butter, and cheese.

The post Mahama explores Belarus Agro Hub to boost Ghana’s food security appeared first on AgricToday.

According to the association, this critical measure will provide a breathing space for farmers to recover financially, stabilize farm-gate prices, and restore confidence in the local rice market.

In a press release issued by the association, the association urged the the government to direct the National Security apparatus to immediately and decisively clamp down on rice smuggling across all border points. “The ongoing illegal importation of rice is a direct economic sabotage of Ghanaian farmers and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. We call for regular, publicly reported enforcement operations”, the release indicates.

The association called on the government to enact a legal and regulatory framework that mandates all government ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), state-owned enterprises, public hospitals, schools, prisons, the military, and other public institutions to procure only locally produced rice and other staples.

Compliance with this directive must be monitored and enforced with clear sanctions for violations. In that regard, arrangements should be made with farmer organizations, including PFAG to directly aggregate and supply the produce to these institutions.

The authorities should conduct an urgent and transparent review of the operational mandate, procurement processes, financing arrangements, and institutional capacity of the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO). NAFCO must be restructured and adequately resourced to serve as an effective, efficient, and accountable purchaser of locally produced agricultural commodities, especially during periods of market glut.

The call also states that the government should establish a dedicated price stabilization fund for rice and other strategic staples, to protect farm-gate prices and ensure farmers receive a fair and remunerative return on their investment, even during periods of oversupply.

The government should invest in post-harvest infrastructure, including storage facilities, milling capacity, and market linkage platforms, to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the competitiveness of locally produced rice against imported alternatives.

The post PFAG calls on government to suspend rice imports for a minimum of six (6) months to clear local stocks appeared first on AgricToday.

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has urged the government to immediately implement rice import quota system to salvage current losses by farmers and extend such policy to other value chains.

The association acknowledges the government’s decision to introduce a rice import quota policy as a step in the right direction towards boosting demand for locally produced rice and strengthening the country’s domestic rice value chain.

In a press release issued by the association reads;

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) acknowledges the government’s decision to introduce a rice import quota policy as a step in the right direction towards boosting demand for locally produced rice and strengthening the country’s domestic rice value chain.

However, the Association wishes to state in the strongest possible terms that the urgency of the current glut demands immediate and decisive implementation. Delayed implementation will irrevocably defeat Ghana’s quest to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production, as farmers are rapidly losing the economic incentive to continue production.

Our independent assessment and field monitoring across major rice-growing regions reveal that over 90% of rice farmers currently hold significant unsold stocks of rice, a crisis that has persisted despite several policy interventions announced by government.

As we approach the new farming season, thousands of rice farmers across the country have issued a grave warning that they will abandon rice production entirely unless an immediate and clear pathway to market their existing stocks is provided.

The livelihoods of these farming families, and Ghana’s food security, now hang in the balance.

THE CRISIS ON THE GROUND

The situation is deeply alarming, despite government’s policy interventions. The PFAG’s observations and analysis across key farming communities expose a stark and troubling contradiction, that, while Ghanaian farmers have produced an abundance of high-quality local rice, the market continues to be flooded by imported foreign rice.

This incessant importation, even done by some state agencies that are expected to champion the cause of local procurement, coupled with rampant smuggling across several border points, is systematically undermining the efforts of our hardworking farmers.

Furthermore, the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), which was specifically directed by the President to purchase locally produced rice, has been unable to fulfill this mandate.

The failure of NAFCO to act decisively has left farmers without a critical buyer of last resort, deepening the crisis and sending a demoralizing signal to farming communities across the country. These institutional failures directly threaten Ghana’s food security and sovereignty.

CALLTOACTION

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, therefore, while welcoming this policy proposal, urgently calls on government to immediately commence full implementation of the rice import quota policy.

Beyond the quota system, we call for a comprehensive and coordinated package of measures to address the current crisis and build a resilient, sustainable domestic rice value chain.

Specifically, PFAG calls on government to:

• Immediately order a moratorium on rice imports for a minimum of six (6) months to allow for the clearance of existing Ghanaian produced rice stocks. This critical measure will provide a breathing space for farmers to recover financially, stabilize farm-gate prices, and restore confidence in the local rice market.

• Direct the National Security apparatus to immediately and decisively clamp down on rice smuggling across all border points. The ongoing illegal importation of rice is a direct economic sabotage of Ghanaian farmers and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. We call for regular, publicly reported enforcement operations.

• Enact a legal and regulatory framework that mandates all government ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), state-owned enterprises, public hospitals, schools, prisons, the military, and other public institutions to procure only locally produced rice and other staples. Compliance with this directive must be monitored and enforced with clear sanctions for violations. In that regard, arrangements should be made with farmer organizations, including PFAG to directly aggregate and supply the produce to these institutions.

• Conduct an urgent and transparent review of the operational mandate, procurement processes, financing arrangements, and institutional capacity of the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO). NAFCO must be restructured and adequately resourced to serve as an effective, efficient, and accountable purchaser of locally produced agricultural commodities, especially during periods of market glut.

• Establish a dedicated price stabilization fund for rice and other strategic staples, to protect farm-gate prices and ensure farmers receive a fair and remunerative return on their investment, even during periods of oversupply.

• Invest in post-harvest infrastructure, including storage facilities, milling capacity, and market linkage platforms, to reduce post-harvest losses and improve the competitiveness of locally produced rice against imported alternatives.

THE BROADER AGRICULTURAL CRISIS

While the rice glut commands immediate attention, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana wishes to draw the government’s attention to the fact that this crisis is not isolated to rice alone. Farmers engaged in the production of other critical staples, including cassava, maize, yam, soybean, and cowpea face an equally demoralizing situation, with unsold produce, collapsed farm-gate prices, and mounting post-harvest losses threatening the viability of their enterprises.

Ghana’s broader food security and economic resilience depend on the productivity and profitability of these value chains.

The PFAG therefore urges government to adopt a holistic, sector-wide approach to resolving the market challenges facing smallholder farmers. We call for the development of a comprehensive Agricultural Market Stabilization Policy that addresses price volatility, market access, procurement, and storage across all key staple value chains. As we approach the new planting season, farmers need clear and credible signals from government that their investments will be protected and their produce guaranteed a market.

CONCLUSION

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively with government and all stakeholders to achieve food self-sufficiency. Farmers are watching, and they are waiting for action. The government must demonstrate, through immediate and concrete steps, that it values the men and women who feed this nation. We stand ready to engage with the relevant ministries and agencies to support the swift and effective implementation of these measures.

The post Implement rice import mechanism to safeguard rice farmers – PFAG urges Government appeared first on AgricToday.

AgricConnect is a national framework to strengthen food security, create jobs, reduce food imports, and mobilize investment across priority agricultural value chains.

To alleviate abject poverty and unemployment among the youth, the government launched project called The Agriculture For Economic Transformation Agenda to liberate the youth with the enormous agriculture potentials that Ghana possesses.

To achieve this milestone, the government converged a team made up of all the experts from the various ministries to work on a document that can transform agriculture into agribusiness and create employment opportunities for the you of Ghana, thus AgricConnect.

According to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, the AgriConnect defined some specific crops with mammoth potential to develop entire chains and generate jobs for the youth.

“AgriConnect is about turning Ghana’s agricultural potential into tangible results: more food on the table, more jobs for young people, and more value created here at home. This Compact provides a clear roadmap to modernize agriculture, support farmers, and build stronger value chains that can drive growth nationwide,” Hon, said.

The crops under consideration are; rice, maize, oil palm, cocoa and poultry. The Minister commended the partners for the support and the commitment made towards the implementation of the laudable programme.

“It is our hope that resources required for the implementation of such programme would be made available in time and implementation would proceed effectively so that we can maximize the benefit and realize all the objectives and the goals that are captured in the programme”, he added.

The Remarks from the Partners of AgriConnect:
The World Bank
“Ghana’s AgriConnect Compact is a bold step toward building a more productive, resilient, and jobs-rich food system. By linking policy reform with investment and delivery, Ghana is creating the conditions to strengthen food security, support farmers and agribusinesses, and unlock private capital at scale,” World Bank Group Vice President for Plant, Guangzhe Chen said.

He commended Government of Ghana for the strong leadership and the vision to acknowledge that agriculture is not just about food production, but it’s central to Ghana’s economic transformation for job creation and for resilient agenda.

He underscored the core of the compact that is moving from subsistence to productivity, fragmentation to stronger value chain, and from public-led growth to a stronger private sector investment.

“What makes Ghana’s compact particular compelling is the clarity of its priorities and also the depth of the reforms that it embraces. It focuses on high potential sectors such as cocoa, palm oil, rice, maize, and poultry sector where Ghana has to have a strong comparative advantage and where the potential for job creation and import substitution is enormous,” he extoled.

He mentioned that AgriConnect will focus on six scalable solutions which are; agritech and digital tools, investment in roads, irrigation and infrastructure related, extension services and research, and stronger access to finance.

This effort, he said really reflect the power of partnership with US$3.5billion investment programme for the next 5 years and the strong support from the government with the World Bank Group and its partners of African Development Bank, IFAD, and others.

Ministry of Finance
As key stakeholder of the compact, the Deputy Finance Minister, Hon, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, lauded the government for the proactive step taking to address Ghana’s import bill.

According to him, Ghana imports about two to three billion dollars annually between all food products that can be locally and competitively produced. These represent jobs exported factories never built, value chains left undeveloped, and foreign management unnecessarily drained, therefore, it is exciting to develop the compact that will help reduce and reverse all these trends.

Considering broader agri-food system in the country, Hon. said the sector supports almost 44% of employment nationwide and clearly, no serious economic transformation agenda can therefore bypass agriculture.

He stated that no wonder President has prioritized agriculture through the Feed Ghana program, the Grow24 initiative under the 24-hour economy initiative, the Big Push Infrastructure program, and the broader agro-industrialization strategy.

Giving an account to the funds released to the agric sector, he explained the Ministry of Finance have released about 1.67 billion cedis representing 85 percent of the approved 2026 budget for goods and services, 521 million cedis for 50 Farmer Service Centres to support mechanization, 110 million cedis to be invested in irrigation infrastructures across country, 515.3 million cedis for the supply of fertilizers and certified seeds, 244.9 million cedis to be invested in the poultry farm to table project and 200 million Ghana cedis to be invested by the National Buffer Stock Company.

“Poor road conditions in key production areas limit market access, increase post-harvest losses, raise transport costs, and ultimately reduce farmer incomes. Consistent with our commitment to addressing these structural bottlenecks government is partnering with the World Bank to implement the US$523 million Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project, farm to market connectivity in selected districts across the country through this intervention we will rehabilitate approximately 1 000 kilometers of feeder roads in major food producing areas particularly those supporting staple crops such as maize rice cassava and yam by improving connectivity between farms markets storage facilities processing centers and logistic corridors”, he added.

He mentioned that AgriConnect affirms the fundamental shift of government’s notion of agriculture. The Compact focuses on strategic value chain that create common framework that align government policy, development partner support, private sector investment, and agricultural financing towards measurable economic outcomes.

Interventions by Stakeholders
Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana
The Former Acting Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Bismark Owusu Nortey lauded the Compact saying it is smallholder-centered initiative.

He mentioned that compact appears to address the respective constraints within the value chain. Currently, he added we all know that when it comes to government, the major issue for our farmers is the issue of markets in the rice mill, yam, cassava, value chains.

He mentioned 3 interventions that the association is interested as the compact is concern. According to him, first, the association is very much interested to see the impacts of the compact to smallholder farmers. At times programs are being run, but the impact is quite imperceptible, therefore the impact of this program should be felt.
Secondly, results should be released on time, and lastly, to have an effective system to monitor and evaluate the progress of the program.

FAGE
The President for the Federation Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), Narh Korboe said the most critical part of the Compact is the releasing of the funds to the ministry to work with.

He mentioned that delay in release of funds amount to program failure and this has contributed to failure of our new programs.

He admonished that Ghana, especially the Ministry of Agriculture has one of the best agribusinesses personnels in the country, however, the financial muscles to carryout the mandate is always an issue.
“I will be opening my eyes and ears since I have good lens to watch this program”, he concluded.

About AgriConnect
AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative to transform farming for 300 million smallholders by 2030. It is supported by partners such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Google and Bayer.

The Ghana AgriConnect Compact is a multi-year national framework focused on strengthening food security, creating jobs, boosting value addition, and mobilizing financing across priority agricultural value chains. The first phase covers 2026–2030 and is aligned with Ghana’s broader goals for agricultural transformation, private investment, and economic resilience.

The post Ghana launches AgriConnect Compact aiming to cut US$3billion food import bill and create 2.6m jobs. appeared first on AgricToday.

He cited government-backed initiatives to boost value addition and industrialisation.

A statement shared with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said Dr Okrah made the call during a high-level panel discussion on the second day of the Ghana–UK Investment Summit 2026 in London, which brought together global agribusiness leaders, investors, diplomats and government officials. “Ghana is open for business,” Dr Okrah said.

The statement said the TCDA CEO presented Ghana’s investment prospects for the six regulated tree crops under the Authority and outlined measures being implemented to transform the sector from a raw-commodity export base into a value-driven industrial economy.

He highlighted opportunities in the cashew industry, noting that, beyond the export of nuts, cashew apples could be processed into juice, beverages, and other commercial products, creating additional revenue streams for investors.

Dr Okrah also drew attention to the government’s plan to establish 100,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations nationwide, supported by a proposed 500-million-dollar financing facility, describing the initiative as a major opportunity for investment in cultivation, processing and downstream industries.

On rubber, he said efforts were underway to increase production by reclaiming degraded lands and to promote industrialisation by establishing processing factories, including facilities for producing vehicle tyres.

The statement said the CEO also highlighted opportunities within the shea value chain, indicating that value addition to shea nuts would enable Ghana to position itself to benefit from the projected 5.5-billion-dollar global shea market by 2033.

Dr Okrah outlined policy interventions introduced by the Authority, including directives backed by Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2471 to reserve a percentage of raw materials for local processors under the Government’s Feed the Industry initiative.

He said the measure was intended to strengthen local manufacturing, increase value addition and create sustainable employment opportunities.

The CEO called on investors to partner with Ghana, citing the country’s stable business environment, supportive policy framework and commitment to agricultural transformation.

The summit, held from June 1 to 2 on the theme, “The Reset Agenda: Restoring Investor Confidence to Unlock Opportunities and Shared Prosperity,” was organised to showcase investment-ready projects across Ghana’s priority sectors and strengthen economic cooperation between Ghana and the United Kingdom.

It brought together investors, policymakers, business leaders, development partners, and members of the Ghanaian diaspora to explore trade opportunities.

The post TCDA CEO woos UK investors for Ghana’s tree crops sector appeared first on AgricToday.

He revealed that West African countries spend about US$3 to 4 billion annually importing rice, a situation that can be reversed to create jobs and improve the living conditions of farmers in the region.

“That is billions in foreign exchange leaving our economies each year to finance demand we should increasingly be meeting ourselves. Therefore, the real Jollof competition before us is not whose rice tastes better. It is whether West Africa can finally produce enough rice to feed itself competitively”, he said.

Outlining some serious challenges the importation of rice create for the economies in West Africa, Mr. Ampem said the current situation is economically unsustainable and strategically untenable.

He added that the widening gap between the productive capacity of West African countries and consumption, are placing enormous pressure on economies in the sub-region.

“It drains scarce foreign exchange, weakens domestic value chains, exposes our countries to external supply shocks, and limits the jobs and prosperity that should arise from a commodity we consume so heavily”, he said.

“We know that West Africa is not short of potential in rice production. We have the land. We have the water resources. We have the farmers. What we have lacked, for far too long, is sufficient transformational capital capable of unlocking this potential at scale” he added.

Providing some solutions, Mr. Ampem called for transformational capital investment for long term sustainability of the sector.

He explained that such investment will require patient capital that funds irrigation, and not just seasonal inputs;

“It means risk-tolerant capital that invests in storage, milling, logistics and processing, not just commodity trading. It means strategic regional capital that sees a West African rice economy, not fragmented national markets separated by borders”, he proposed.

According to him, transformational capital investment will not only improve the welfare of farmers but will make rice production and processing attractive to investors.  

“That is the scale of ambition this moment demands. I am confident that if we fundamentally rethink how we see rice. This region can unlock and attract the capital required to transform the sector”.

The ECOWAS Commission at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable held on June 2, 2026 brought together representatives of ECOWAS Member States, representatives of Regional and International Financial Institutions, development partners, private sector leaders, and investors.

The post Importing US$4bn worth of rice by West African countries is unjustifiable – Dep. Finance Minister appeared first on AgricToday.

During the meeting, the Deputy Director-General of FAO, Maurizio Martina reinforced the importance of efficiency, accountability, and coordination, noting that the “One FAO” approach is essential for coherent action.

Regional Representative, Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel added that FAO’s effectiveness will be judged by its ability to support country offices, detect challenges early, and respond with urgency.

The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. John Dumelo, outlined the pressing structural challenges: smallholder constraints, rising demand from population growth, value chain disruptions, and nutrition gaps.

He detailed Ghana’s Feed Ghana Programme and Block Farming and Agricultural Transformation Agenda, designed to boost production, reduce imports, stabilize food prices, and modernize farming practices.

Dumelo stressed FAO’s critical role in helping countries move from fragmented interventions to scalable, evidence-based programmes aligned with FAO’s Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

In opening remarks, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon. Emelia Arthur, emphasized the urgency of moving Africa “from potential to performance.”

She highlighted the continent’s abundant resources, youthful population, and entrepreneurial energy, yet noted that hunger, poverty, and climate shocks persist.

“Africa requires transformation, not incremental change or fragmented pilot projects,” she declared.

Hon. Emelia Arthur pointed to Ghana’s fish processing centre in Axim, a partnership with FAO that has uplifted women fish processors, as proof of what targeted interventions can achieve.

She underscored the Blue Economy as a major untapped opportunity, urging regional cooperation, investment, and decisive action against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The gathering brought together FAO leadership, ministers, and sub-regional coordinators to chart a path toward stronger coordination and more efficient delivery of agrifood systems across the continent.

Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with FAO and international partners to transform challenges into opportunities and drive sustainable development across Africa.

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Last year alone, Ghana consumed roughly 1.71 million tons of rice but domestically produced around 960,000 tons of milled rice leaving close to 751,000 tons that amount to we spent around 320 million United States dollars.

During the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable held at Kempinski, Accra-Ghana, Hon. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture said deficit gap is described to be the single largest untapped agribusiness opportunity for investment, industrialization and high-productivity jobs for the youth in Ghana rather than been simply a burden on our balance of payments.

Explaining Ghana’s 3 main ecologies at which the rice production revolves, Minister said rain-fed lowland, in-land valley account for almost 90% of output and irrigation systems around 10%.

Under the System of Rice Intensification, Hon. Mentioned that irrigated plots in Ghana have reached 6.5 tons per hectare against 3.8 tons under conventional practice, a near doubling on the same land. With improved seed, water, mechanization and agronomy, 6 tons per hectare is well within reach especially under irrigation.

“Ghana’s rice milling recovery stands at around 55% which is below the global benchmark of 65%. This gap stems from over-dried paddy, mixing of varieties, and mills without the required components which result in high breakage and impurities. These losses (amounting to about 50 to 90 million United States dollars annually) increase the cost of production and therefore the price of Ghana rice, making the industry uncompetitive against cheaper imports,” he explained one factor affecting the sector.

He underscored the change that Ghana has made to the underlying problem facing the rice sector, thus the uncertainty about where, precisely, the productive opportunities lie. “We have commissioned advanced satellite-based geospatial mapping to identify, delineate and characterize rice-suitable land nationwide, the full expanse, we will need to reach self-sufficiency, organized into production clusters.”

“Initial mapping across our principal rice-growing regions has identified approximately 515,000 hectares of land currently under rice cultivation, spanning our rain-fed lowland, irrigated lowland and inland-valley ecologies,” he added.

The post Our rice deficit is not simply a burden on our balance of payments, it is the single largest untapped agribusiness opportunity in our staple-food economy – Agric Minister appeared first on AgricToday.