MOTIVATING RICE FARMERS (JAN 15, 2010)

Ghana’s annual rice import is estimated at about 300,000 tonnes, valued at millions of dollars.
The local production of the produce falls below demand, creating a lucrative market for imported rice.
The irony of our situation is that Ghana abounds in arable land for the cultivation of paddy rice and other varieties of the staple.
Like the needle in the midst of tonnes of fabric but which is always naked, Ghana has the capacity to produce rice for local consumption and for export, yet we are always in want of the produce, necessitating large tonnes of imports.
The country stands to gain immensely from the mass cultivation of rice because while the local market exists, there is the potential for export to the sub-region and beyond.
Rice is the favourite food of majority of the people and it is consumed in all homes at Christmas, Eid-Ul-Fitr and other festive occasions.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the country can break away from its over-dependence on imported rice to rely on local production if our farmers are motivated to do so.
We recall the glorious era of the Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) programme when the three northern regions and other water-logged areas were turned into rice fields.
The outcome of that endeavour was so overwhelming that rice production exceeded local demand and the surplus was exported.
Out of this state intervention emerged big time rice farmers, especially in the three northern regions, and a rice mill was established to process the rice.
More than 30 years on, we have not been able to improve on our production techniques to turn out quality rice to meet the taste of the people.
Thus the often repeated complaint against local rice is that the produce is not properly milled to compete with the imported one.
It is, therefore, refreshing that some steps are being taken, albeit slowly, to make our local rice the produce of choice for all our people, especially the big-time stakeholders such as educational institutions, the security agencies, hospitals and food vendors.
The Chinese say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step and we are convinced that Continental Commodities Trading Company (CCTC) Limited, a subsidiary of the Finatrade Group, began the journey yesterday when it took delivery of 761 bags of perfumed local rice produced by farmers in the Hohoe municipality and surrounding villages.
We have noticed that one major bottleneck in our effort to produce rice in abundance is the lack of a guaranteed market for local rice producers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC commends Finatrade for this bold effort to support local rice producers and we urge all rice merchants to buy from local producers.
This is the only way to stimulate the local economy because besides creating the market for farmers, more young persons will be encouraged to take to agriculture to rejuvenate the rural economy as promised in the 2010 budget statement.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the government to make the agenda to promote the consumption of local rice a major national endeavour, with businesses that will assist us to achieve that objective being offered special incentives.
It is not going to be easy to break into the cartel of rice importers and get our people to patronise local rice. The journey will be long and rough but if we are determined to change our destiny for the better, we can break away from the past.