A new warehouse constructed at a cost of US$100,000 for rice farmers at Dawhenya, near Tema has been inaugurated.
Funded by the Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) Ghana, the warehouse has a storage capacity of 3,100 tonnes of rice seed or 78,000 bags of rice seed.
It is a preservation bank to stem post-harvest losses, and to readily make rice seeds available for planting in the irrigated area and beyond.
The facility, which was constructed within a period of 4 months, is fitted with modern ventilation and cooling systems.
Officials in the frontage of the rice seed warehouse at Dawhenya.
CSIR Director-General, Prof Paul Bosu with Director of KOPIA-Ghana, Dr. Kim Choong-Hoe (in blue jacket & facemask), and the Chief Executive of KOPIA, Dr. Man Young Choi, and the Korean Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency-Jung-Taek-Lim.
The development of the warehouse forms part of a five-year project, dubbed “Water-Energy-Food Nexus Programme (WEFP) for Better Lives for Rural Development in Ghana” being undertaken by KOPIA in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The inauguration of the warehouse on May 10, was followed the next day with a symposium on rice seeds in Accra. The theme of the discussion was ”Rice seed certification and distribution system in Africa.”
The Rice Seed symposium took place at Ibis Hotel in Accra.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Ghana noted that it will introduce a seed tracking system in 2024 to ensure that the seeds for meant planting in the field are not adulterated. The sector minister Mr. Brian Acheampong announced a consolidated approach to improving the rice value chain.
Minister of Food and Agriculture, Ghana, Bryan Acheampong.
He also indicated that key donors have expressed interest in supporting rice production for a greater harvest of the produce in Ghana. The agencies in the queue to provide the dovetail to existing capacities say they are taking a cue from the Korean example spearheaded by KOPIA.
Dr. Chang Ancheol, Secretary-General of the Korean Program for Innovation in Agriculture pledged the Korean government’s unflinching support to improve local rice production and cut import of the product to Ghana. Importantly, Korea is championing the production of perfume rice in Ghana that will meet the taste of the market, as the Asian Tiger nation, and Ghana’s premier scientific organization, CSIR, exchange expert knowledge.
An improved rice variety field at Dawhenya- A KOPIA-CSIR collaboration