As part of efforts to make Ghana a rice exporter, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has appealed to investors in Thailand to come and invest in Ghana’s rice sector.
He said Ghana has great potential for rice production which is evident in favorable climatic conditions, availability of fertile land and an open society with a vibrant democracy.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto made the appeal when a delegation of investors from Thailand, led by the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, and the Honorary Consul of Ghana in Thailand, Dr. Sicha Singsomboon, met him at the ministry on Friday, December 30, 2022.
He said Ghana can boast about 40,000 hectares of land available to support large-scale rice production, therefore encouraging Thai investors to take advantage and invest in the sector.
In addition, he assured the delegation of the Ghanaian government to support investors in the rice industry.
“Our rice production is seasonal, and therefore, we want targeted actions to plant rice in April, May, June, guaranteeing that “we will make sure that the land is available for you,” he said.
He said the target of his ministry is to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production, which has seen significant gains. However, he added that more needs to be done to address the deficit.
On that score, Dr. Afriyie Akoto asked the Thai delegation to bring the action program to his ministry for consideration.
He stressed that private sector intervention in the rice industry is very important, as it will help the government’s vision to commercialize the commodity.
While commending the Jospong Group of Companies for its rice production efforts, he said he would continue to give Dr. Siaw Agyepong all the encouragement and support in his efforts to help the government overcome the challenges of food security in the country.
A delegation from Thailand also visited the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
According to Mr. Kyerematen, the government has gone all out to ensure the successful implementation of the Ghana-Thailand rice project.
“The government is fully committed to providing the environment and policy framework for this project,” he said.
He praised the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, because he has been working on rice production.
He strongly believes that the project will be productive and benefit both Ghana and Thailand.
Trade statistics between Ghana and Thailand, he bemoaned, were not encouraging, but said there was much that Ghana could learn from Thailand.
In early 2022, JGC started an integrated rice farming project. And to show JGC’s seriousness in the project, the team led by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Siaw Agyepong, visited Thailand to learn about the Thai rice sector in order to replicate the experience and strategy in Ghana.
JGC’s object is to work with major rice industry players in Thailand to provide technical support and equipment to the entire rice value chain in Ghana with the aim of improving rice production in Ghana.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana
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