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The Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) has handed over 300 metric tonnes of rice seeds to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for distribution to farmers across the country to produce rice.
The rice seeds produced at the Dawhenya Irrigation project site under a KOPIA- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)partnership were aimed at scaling up Ghana's self-sufficiency in rice.
The four high-yield rice varieties, namely Crop Research Institute (CRI) Amankwatia, CRI Agyapa, CRI Agra and CRI Korea Mo were developed by CSIR with support from KOPIA and have been certified by the Ghana Seed Inspection Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The new varieties, according to the researchers, possess all the good traits of quality rice including all-year-round viability, early maturity, good milling quality, long grain and aromatic appeal to consumers on the market.
At the handover ceremony of the rice seeds at the Dawhenya Irrigation project site on March 5, 2024, the Director of KOPIA-Ghana, Dr Kim-Choong Hoe said Ghana currently imported 50 per cent of its rice requirements, stressing that it was not good for the country.
Dr Hoe said Ghana had a huge potential to bridge the gap between demand and supply of rice adding that with effective agricultural mechanisation, Ghana could improve rice production and further reduce the quality of rice imported to about 30 per cent.
Collaboration
He indicated that under a five-year project spearheaded by the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in South Korea, in collaboration with the CSRI, which commenced last year, KOPIA Ghana Centre was committed to producing 5,000 metric tonnes six varieties of rice seeds to enhance local rice production which would help Ghana conserve foreign exchange.
A Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of crops, Yaw Frimpong Addo, who received the rice seeds, expressed his excitement about the project stressing it would help improve and strengthen the rice seed system in the country.
He gave an assurance that MOFA would ensure timely availability of
quality seeds in the market to enable farmers to have access and to
cultivate large acreages of land which would contribute to improving the
quantity and quality of rice produced.
Rice revolution
The Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Park Kyongsig, said Ghana had favourable conditions for greater output in rice production such as vast arable lands, source of water, diligent and hardworking farmers, good climatic conditions, and natural valleys for the cultivation of the cereal.
via : https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/ghana-news-kopia-ghana-hands-over-300-metric-tonnes-of-rice-seed-to-increase-local-rice-production.html
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