Fumbisi rice farmers want more action on Buffer Stock’s ready market promise

Local rice farmers in Fumbisi and Gbedembilisi in the Upper East Region have welcomed moves by the Ghana National Buffer Stock Company to assist them with a ready market for their produce.

After a Citi News report on how the lack of ready market for the commodity was threatening their investments, the Chief Executive Officer of the Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who visited the Fumbisi Rice Valleys assured farmers of ready market in two weeks.

But, the farmers say they will treat such assurances as mere talk until they materialize.

“Next year by this time, we shouldn’t be talking about this again. We know the government can do it and the President is able.”

“We will be very happy when the assurances are put into practice. I will get permanent happiness when they come round and assist us in cutting the produce away from the farms.”

The Ghana National Buffer Stock Company has promised to unleash its licensed buying companies to mop-up all rice produce that is going bad over lack of buyers.

Buffer Stock CEO, Abdul-Wahab who gave the assurance said it forms part of government’s long-term plans to increase rice consumption in the country as a means to ending importation of rice thus creating a ready market for rice farmers.

“We are going to unleash our license buying companies to immediately come to this rice valleys and mop up the excess paddy rice grains here, so that, they can take them to nearby mills, mill them and supply to a government institution. We have over 1,350 registered license buying companies under the buffer stock company but we term this situation as an emergency one, so, we would have to carefully select those who are ready with resources to come immediately to buy and we hope to mop up all these rice out of the valleys within two weeks”, he said.

Project coordinator of Savanna Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project, Felix Darimani also hinted that plans were in place to support rice farmers with farm equipment to boost rice production in the area.

But the farmers insist that these are mere promise until they have the buyers to purchase their produce which is getting rotten on the farms.

“It is good news but until they do what they have said. Unless it is done, we will not be able to say much.”

“As they have assured us that in two weeks time, they will bring people to buy our produce, we are very happy.”

Plans are also far advanced to sign a memorandum of understanding with government institutions such as the Ghana police service, the Prison Service, government hospitals, community development schools to supply them with Ghana rice.

The Chief Executive Officer of Citi FM/TV Samuel Attah-Mensah had earlier declared himself as an ambassador to push for the consumption of locally produced rice in Ghana.

He subsequently initiated the Buy Made in Ghana rice campaign which as so far been accepted nationwide.