The Acting Executive Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Dr Said Boakye, has called for the establishment of a Rice Development Board (RDB) to ensure active state intervention to transform the sector.
The call, he said, was against the backdrop of the poor performance of rice production in the country due to the lack of active government involvement in addressing critical constraints, unlike in Vietnam and Thailand, where governments played a leading role.
He said the government had relegated itself to creating an enabling environment, while expecting the private sector to address production bottlenecks.
That, Dr Boakye said, had resulted in market failures, with the private sector unable to adequately improve productivity.
To correct this, he said the government must take a proactive role through the proposed RDB, to handle interventions covering production, harvesting, milling, and storage.
Speaking at the launch of a report on the theme, “Increasing the Importation of Rice in Ghana, Can the Country Transform its Fortunes in the Rice Sector,” Dr Boakye said a new study on the country’s rice sector had identified low fertiliser application, use of uncertified seed, low degree of mechanisation, and limited irrigation facilities as militating against the growth of the sector.
The study, conducted by the think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said these factors were the main reasons the country could not produce enough rice for local consumption and for export.
The report said Ghana could become a net exporter of rice and reduce importation if the challenges facing farmers were addressed.
Currently, domestic production stands between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes, compared to consumption levels of 1.4 to 1.7 million metric tonnes.
The launch of the report was attended by rice farmers from Volta and Oti regions, representatives of development partners, members, farmer organisations, state agencies and members of the diplomatic corps.
The RDB, Dr Boakye said, should be well-resourced financially and technically to provide certified seeds, fertilisers, irrigation facilities, and mechanisation support to farmers.
The Acting Director of IFS appealed to the government to acquire large tracts of land suitable for rice farming, compensate current holders, and redistribute the land to interested farmers at affordable rates.
He called for youth mobilisation into rice farming through access to start-up capital, regardless of political affiliation.
Dr Boakye said Ghana possessed the right conditions, fertile land, labour, and favourable climate, to become a major rice exporter if strategic interventions were implemented.
“With an estimated 5.9 million hectares suitable for rice cultivation, the country can achieve yields comparable to Thailand and Vietnam if managed effectively,” he said.
A Research Assistant at IFS, Frederick Amoh, said the Volta and Oti regions were chosen for the study because they contribute over 40 per cent of Ghana’s rice production.
He said the study was to examine and bring to limelight the challenges facing farmers in rice cultivation for policy attention.
The Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Mariama Gonçalves Madeira, commended IFS for the study and urged government to adopt policies that would promote the rice sector, citing Brazil’s success in large-scale rice production through strong government support.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, Mr George Abradu-Otoo, lauded IFS for the report, affirming government’s commitment to boosting local rice production and consumption through targeted initiatives.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
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