The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West, Carlos Kingsley
Ahenkorah, has cut the sod for the construction of a three-unit
classroom block for the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA) Sraha Basic
School. The
project, according to the contractor, is expected to be completed in
three months and would comprise an office for the head teacher, six
washrooms for the pupils and a water system.
At the ceremony last
Tuesday, Mr Ahenkorah said in December 2022, Cargill Ghana, a Cocoa
Processing and Licensed Buying Company and CARE International Ghana
handed over a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities to the
Adjei Kojo community in the Tema West Municipality which hitherto had
only one public basic school.
He said it came to his attention
that due to the lack of accommodation, learners who recently completed
basic six at the school had their Junior High School lessons in the
staff common room meant for facilitators in the primary department,
after some parents refused to relocate their wards to other schools in
the community for JHS education.
He
said touched by an appeal from the Headmistress of the school, Irene
Adorku, parents and some learners during a visit to the school, he
lobbied and got the Ministry of Education to help in building an
additional JHS block through the Ghana Accountability and Learning
Outcome Project (GALOP) to enable graduating basic six learners in the
Sraha community to continue their JHS education in the same school.
The
MP said the project had been designed such that it could be expanded in
future to cater for the growing population of the community and the
Adjei Kojo Electoral Area.
Mr Ahenkorah expressed optimism that
through the intervention, children around the Sraha community in the
Adjei Kojo Electoral Area, which is the biggest community in Tema West,
would receive quality basic education, which would significantly
contribute to the development of the community and the nation.
Support
The
Municipal Chief Executive of Tema West, Felicia Edem Attipoe, said
quality was paramount and urged the community members to monitor the
contractor during the construction period, to ensure that the project
was delivered according to specification.
She
said the assembly would also support the project with the necessary
logistics upon completion, for children to get early access to quality
education to prepare them for senior high school education.
The
Tema West Municipal Director of Education, Isaac MacCarthy-Mensah, said
the establishment of the school as a model school in the municipality
had helped in shaping the lives of children in the Adjei Kojo community.
The
headmistress of the school, Irene Adorku, expressed appreciation to the
MP for coming to their aid and promised that the facility would be used
for its purpose and be maintained. The Chief of Sraha, Nii Abo
Commey, commended the MP for the intervention, adding that it would
contribute to education access in the community.
Residents of Kpone in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality in the
Greater Accra Region have expressed their anger over the erratic supply
of potable water to the area.
The residents have also appealed to the government to help fix the road network in the area.
They
indicated that due to the bad nature of the roads, especially the roads
linking Kpone to other towns such as Tema, Prampram, Oyibi and
Katamanso, residents found it difficult to travel.
The residents
expressed these concerns at a town hall meeting organised by the Kpone
Katamanso Municipal Assembly last Thursday. The meeting was held by the
assembly to interact with residents on various topics of interest and
address issues concerning the progress, growth and development of the
area.
A
resident of Kpone Shanghai, Benjamin Tetteh, told the Daily Graphic
that some community members had to go several days without water supply,
forcing them to resort to private tanker services to purchase water for
their daily use at a high cost.
Another resident, Ishmael Mensah,
said the deplorable nature of the roads in the municipality was
affecting their movement to and out of town.
“Kpone is not too far
from Tema but because of the bad nature of the road, we use a longer
period to reach Tema,” he said and appealed to the government to
fast-track the construction works on the seven-kilometre Kpone-Tema Oil
Refinery and the Kpone Township to Kpone Barrier roads.”
Intervention
The
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Kpone Katamanso, Samuel Okoe
Amanquah, said he inherited the water crisis in 2017, adding that he had
approached Ghana Water Limited (GWL), which came to Kpone to do a
feasibility study that showed that a huge tank must be erected to store
water for redistribution to the community.
He
said after a second study, GWL realised that that plan would not help;
rather they indicated it would be part of the company’s long-term
measure in improving water supply to industries in Tema and Kpone.
The
project, which is currently at the feasibility stage will draw water
from the Volta River around Aveyime through to the Dawa areas into the
industries in Tema and Kpone to address the ever-increasing demand for
water by residents and industries.
He said once this project came to full fruition, water supply to the area would be improved.
On roads, the MCE said although the assembly had not done much, a few projects were ongoing.
“We
have the Kpone to Tema Oil Refinery road, which is ongoing. It is a
7.2-kilometre dualised road. A portion is going to be asphalted and
another portion would be concrete works,” he said.
On the Kpone
Township to Kpone Barrier road, Mr Amanquah said the project had been
awarded to a contractor, adding that the road would have two bridges
across the Lalue River to connect Kpone to Prampram.
He said works
on the main Kpone Barrier to Central University road on the Tema to
Aflao Highway had stalled, but he was optimistic that the government
would give the green light for work to resume.
“We are hoping that
when all these roads are done, the traffic situation on the main Tema
to Aflao Highway will be a thing of the past,” he said.
Projects
Mr
Amanquah said other projects initiated were the construction of a
40-bed capacity hospital in Kpone, a dormitory block at the Kpone
Community Day SHS to convert the facility into a boarding school,
classroom blocks for the Hanaa, Kpone Bawaleshie, Okushibi, Nii Oglie,
Mlitsakpo and Nanaman communities and the procurement of furniture for
schools in the district.
The MCE said the assembly had constructed
a CHPS compound at the Mlitsakpo community and had also commenced work
on a new market at Kpone.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Greater
Accra Regional Chairman, Divine Otoo Agorhom, touched on the
achievements of the NPP since it assumed office in 2017, including free
SHS, the one district one factory, one constituency one ambulance,
mobile money interoperability, digitisation and enhanced healthcare
system, among others.
THE Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei
Titus-Glover, has reiterated the need for Ga-Dangmes to unite to ensure
the continuous development of the region.
He
made the call last Saturday at Ada when he represented the President,
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to celebrate this year’s Asafotufiam
(firing of musket festival) with the Chiefs and people of the Ada
Traditional Area in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Titus-Glover, who
was accompanied by a delegation of Metropolitan, Municipal and District
Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region, said without unity, the
Ga-Dangme communities cannot move forward, hence the need for all
traditional authorities to work with a united front to bring development
to the people of the region.
Asafotufiam is an annual festival
celebrated mainly in remembrance of the heroic achievements of the
founding fathers and ancestors of the Ada area during the many wars of
survival and development of the Ada people.
It
is a warriors’ festival accompanied by the firing of muskets by
traditional military groups. This year’s was the 87th edition. The
celebration, which drew several people, both residents and
non-residents, to the durbar grounds, was on the theme: “Upholding the
discipline of our forebears as a tool for the sustainable development
and unity of Ada”.
Guests
For the first time in the
history of the Asafotufiam festival, Ga-Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru
II led a large delegation in about five high occupancy buses from Accra
to join the people of Ada for the celebration.
Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga-Mantse, seated at the durbar ground
Also
in attendance were the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anwhiaso
Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs,
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who chaired the function; the Paramount Chief of
the Nungua Traditional Area and acting President of the Greater Accra
Regional House of Chiefs, Nii Odaifio Welentsi III; the Chief of
Katamanso, Tatse Nii Laryea Akueteh X; and the Paramount Chief of
Prampram, Nene Tetteh Wakah III.
Also in attendance was business
mogul and Chairman of the McDan Group, Daniel McKorley, who is also a
Development Chief of Ada under the stool name Nene Koranteng Kabu I; the
Member of Parliament for Ada and Minority Chief Whip, Comfort Doyoe
Cudjoe-Ghansah; the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ada East, Sarah
Dugbakie Pobee; and the DCE for Ada West, Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah; among
many other sons and daughters of the area.
The
festival was heavily interspersed with thunderous firing of muskets at
periodic intervals by traditional military groups from Ada and their
counterparts that accompanied the Ga-Mantse to the festival.
Various
marching bands, dominantly females, who are members of the Ada Youth
Organisations from various parts of the country, gorgeously dressed in
their uniforms, also treated guests to dexterous drumming and marching
skills akin to a military band accompanying their troupe.
The
Asafoatsenguame (war captains) from all the 10 divisions in the Ada
State also renewed their allegiance to the paramount chief, to serve the
state whenever they were called to do so.
Indiscipline
In
his welcoming address, the Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area,
Djetse Abram Kabu Akuaku III, lamented the use of social media to
spread hate and fake news and charged the youth to take advantage of the
social media era to spread the positive narratives about the
traditional values, cultural norms and practices of the people of Ada
and the country as a whole.
He
said it was sad that some people, especially the youth, had resorted to
abusing social media by posting unwarranted and culturally abusive
language, including invective, nude videos and other acts that were
detestable to any good family of Ga-Damgme origin.
He cautioned
that such activities could get the youth on the wrong side of the law
and urged anyone who comes into possession of any piece of information
that could threaten the peace and unity of the society to draw the
attention of the security agencies.
Songor Lagoon
Djetse
Akuaku III, on behalf of the chiefs and people of Ada, commended the
President, Nana Akufo-Addo, for transforming the economic fortunes of
the people of Ada by granting the Songor Lagoon on lease to a private
investor, Electrochem Ghana Limited, to produce salt in commercial
quantity.
“Your Excellency, as this will be your last of
celebrating Ada Asafotufiam festival with us as President, I want to, on
behalf of the good people of Ada, express our profound gratitude to you
for your bravery and show of leadership that has turned the once
destitute Ada Songor Lagoon into a vibrant resource that has begun to
turn the fortunes of the people of Ada and with the potential to turn
the fortunes of this country for the better,” he said.
The
Paramount Chief of Ada also urged all political parties to remain civil
in their campaigns and desist from acts that could cause insecurity
before, during and after the December 7 general elections.
Ga-Damgme Unity
The
Ga-Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, lauded the Ada Traditional
Council and the Paramount Chief for the invitation to participate in
this year’s Asafotufiam, stressing that at all cost, Ga-Damgmes must
unite for the progress of the people.
Some members of a marching band performing at the durbar ground
The
Nungua Mantse and acting President of the Greater Accra Regional House
of Chiefs, Nii Odaifio Welentsi III, in an address delivered on his
behalf by the Chief of Katamanso, Tatse Nii Laryea Akueteh X, also
reechoed the need for unity, stressing that it was important for
Ga-Damgmes to come together to fight for their share of the national
cake irrespective of which political party was in government.
He
warned that without unity of purpose, Ga-Damgmes cannot fight for their
rights in terms of developmental projects, education, health facilities,
scholarship opportunities for the Ga-Damgme youth and many other needs.
Advertisement
Climate Change
The
Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anwhiaso Traditional Area and President of
the National House of Chief, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who chaired the
function, said due to greed, get-rich-quick attitude, the extensive
consumption of natural resources and abuse of the environment, climate
change was threatening the very existence of humans, which has been
reflected in high temperatures, rising ocean levels, severe storms,
flooding, increased drought and displacement of people.
A band performing at the durbar
He
said if the current generation were to uphold the discipline of their
forebears as a tool for sustainable development, something drastic must
be done to address the impact of climate change and build a sustainable
society.
The MP for Ada and Minority Chief Whip, Comfort Doyoe
Cudjoe-Ghansah, and the DCE for Ada East, Sarah Dugbakie Pobee, and her
counterpart for Ada West, Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah, took turns to address
the gathering, enumerating the various developmental interventions they
have carried out in the area.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei
Titus-Glover has reiterated the need for GaDangmes to unite to ensure
the continuous development of the region.
He
made the call on Saturday [August 3, 2024] at Ada when he represented
the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to celebrate this year’s
Asafotufiami (firing of musket festival) with the Chiefs and people of
the Ada Traditional Area in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr
Titus-Glover, who was accompanied by a delegation of Metropolitan,
Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region, said
without unity the GaDangmes communities cannot move forward hence the
need for all traditional authorities work with a united front to bring
development to the people of the region.
Asafotufiami,
is an annual festival celebrated mainly in remembrance of the heroic
achievements of the founding fathers and ancestors of the Ada area
during the many wars of survival and development of the Ada people.
It is a warriors’ festival accompanied by the firing of muskets by traditional military groups.
This
year’s was the 87th edition. The celebration, which drew a number of
people, both residents and non-residents, to the durbar grounds, was on
the theme: “upholding the discipline of our forebears as a tool for the
sustainable development and unity of Ada.
Guests
For
the first time in the history of Asafotufiami festival, Ga-Mantse, Nii
Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, led a large delegation in about five high
occupancy buses from Accra to join the people of Ada for the
celebration.
Also in attendance was the Paramount Chief of Sefwi
Anhwiaso Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs,
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who chaired the function.
Others
were the Paramount Chief of the Nungua Traditional Area and acting
President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Nii Odaifio
Welentsi III, the Chief of Katamanso, Taatse Nii Laryea Akueteh X, and
the the Paramount Chief of Prampram, Nene Tetteh Wakah III.
Buisness
mogul and Chairman of the McDan Group, Daniel McKorley who is also a development Chief of Ada under the stool name Nene Koranteng Kabu I,
the Member of Parliament for Ada and Minority Chief Whip, Comfort Doyoe
Cudjoe-Ghansah, the DCE for Ada East Sarah Dugbakie Pobee and her
counterpart for Ada West, Sampsom Tetteh Kpankpah among many other sons
and daughters of the area were also at the function.
The festival
was heavily interspersed with thunderous firing of muskets at periodic
intervals by traditional groups from Ada and their counterparts that
accompanied the Ga-Mantse to the festival.
Various
marching bands, dominantly females, who are members of the Ada Youth
Organisations from various parts of the country, gorgeously dressed in
their uniforms, also treated guests to dexterous drumming and marching
skills akin to a military band accompanying their troupe.
The
Asafoatsenguame (war captains) from all the 10 divisions in the Ada
State also renewed their allegiance to the paramount chief, to serve the
state whenever they were called to do so.
Indiscipline
In
his welcoming address, the Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area,
Djetse Abram Kabu Akuaku III, lamented the use of social media to
spread hate and fake news and charged the youth to take advantage of the
social media era to spread the positive narratives about the
traditional values, cultural norms and practices of the people of Ada
and the country as a whole.
He said it was sad that some people
especially the youth had resorted to abusing social media by posting
unwarranted and culturally abusive language including invectives, nude
videos and other acts.
He cautioned that such activities could get
the youth on the wrong side of the law and urged anyone who comes into
possession of any piece of information that could threaten the peace and
unity of the the society to draw the attention of the security
agencies.
Songor Lagoon
Djetse
Akuaku III on behalf of the chiefs and people of Ada commended the
President, Nana Akufo-Addo for transforming the economic fortunes of the
people of Ada by granting the Songor Lagoon on lease to a private
investor, Electrochem Ghana Limited for the production of salt in
commercial quantity.
“Your Excellency, as this will be your last
of celebrating Ada Asafotufiami festival with us as President, I want to
on behalf of the good people of Ada express our profound gratitude to
you for your bravery and show of leadership that has turned the once
destitute Ada Songor Lagoon into a vibrant resource which has begun to
turn the fortunes of the people of Ada and with the potential to turn
the fortunes of this country for the better,” he said.
The
Paramount Chief of Ada also urged all political parties to remain civil
in their campaigns and desist from acts that could cause insecurity
before, during and after the December 7 general elections.
Ga-Dangme unity
The
Ga-Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II lauded the Ada Traditional Council
and the Paramount Chief for the invitation to participate in this
year’s Asafotufiami stressing that at all cost Ga-Dangmes must unite for
the progress of the people.
Advertisement
The
Nungua Mantse and acting President of the Greater Accra Regional House
of Chiefs, Nii Odaifio Welentsi III, in an address delivered on his
behalf by the Chief of Katamanso, Taatse Nii Laryea Akueteh X also
re-echoed the need for unity stressing that it was important for
GaDangmes to come together to fight for their share of the national cake
irrespective of which political party was in government warning that
without unity of purpose, the GaDangmes cannot fight for their rights in
terms of developmental projects, education, health facilities,
scholarship opportunities for GaDangme youth and many other needs.
Climate Change
The
Paramount Chief of the Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Anhwiaso
Traditional Area and President of the National House of Chiefs,
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who chaired the function said due to greed, get
rich quick attitude, the extensive consumption of natural resources and
abuse of the environment, climate change was threatening the very
existence of humans and this has been reflected in high temperatures,
rising ocean levels, severe storms, flooding, increased drought and
displacement of people.
He said if the current generation was to
uphold the discipline of their forebears as a tool for the sustainable
development something drastic must be done to address the impact of
climate change and build a sustainable society.
The MP Ada and
Minority Chief Whip, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and the the DCE for
Ada East Sarah Dugbakie Pobee and her counterpart for Ada West, Sampsom
Tetteh Kpankpah took turns to address the gathering enumerating the
various developmental interventions they have carried out in the area.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has
lifted the ban on fishing activities for this year's close season for
artisanal and inshore fleets.
The
fishing close season, which prevented the fishers from fishing in the
country’s waters for a month, was introduced by the ministry and the
Fisheries Commission as a measure to replenish the country’s fishery
stock which data suggest has been dwindling.
The period also provides fishers the opportunity to mend their equipment and prepare for their expeditions.
Symbolic opening
At
a ceremony held at Akplabanya, a coastal community in the Ada West
District in the Greater Accra Region last Thursday, the Minister of
Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson, said the
symbolic opening of the sea was not just for the resumption of fishing
activities, but also to celebrate the unity and shared responsibility
that had brought stakeholders in the sector together in their
determination to manage the fisheries resources in a sustainable
manner.
She
stressed the need for all stakeholders to delicately strike a balance
between utilising the marine resources and conserving them for future
generations, stressing that “sustainable fishing practices are not just
beneficial for the environment but also for the economic stability and
growth of our fisheries sector."
Mrs Koomson said the government
would continuously improve the sector by providing better
infrastructure, introducing new technologies, implementing alternative
livelihood programmes, training and building the capacity of fishermen
and women processors as a way of improving efficiency and profitability
in the fishing industry.
"Our goal is to create a thriving, sustainable fishing industry that would benefit all stakeholders," she said.
USAID
The
acting Mission Director of the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) Ghana, Grace Lang, said her organisation partnered
the ministry and the Fisheries Commission to observe the end of the 2024
close fishing season because it was their belief that sustainable
practices such as close season was important to replenish Ghana's fish
stock.
"Fish
is an essential source of food, nutrients and livelihoods for millions
of Ghanaians. In 2023, the US extended bilateral support of over $140
million to support agriculture and economic growth, health, education,
governance, among others,” she said.
Impact
Ms
Lang stated that the impact assessment of the 2023 close fishing season
showed an increase in the average sizes of round sardinella, flat
sardinella and anchovies (Keta school boys) captured before this year’s
close season commenced”.
“This suggests that during the close
season periods, populations had a chance to recover from the pressures
of fishing activity, leading to a rebound in their size,” she said.
The
District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ada West, Sampson Tetteh Kpankpa,
appealed to the government to construct a landing site in the area,
which he said, had the largest number of canoes and the longest
coastline in West Africa, to enhance fishing activities in the area.
The
President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Nana
Jojo Solomon, said the close fishing season was a good initiative and
called on all stakeholders to support management decisions to enhance
the lives and livelihoods of fishers.
The National Fish
Processors and Traders Association (NAFPTA) also commended the Ghana
Fisheries Recovery Activity for introducing women to the Village Savings
and Loans Scheme which supported the members with credit facilities to
aid their business and families during the fishing close season, and
expressed the hope that the scheme would grow into a banking facility to
support the women in the sector.
The Chief Fisherman for
Akplabanya, Raphael Alimo, in a speech read on his behalf appealed to
the minister to ensure the availability of premix fuel at the various
landing beaches to boost their businesses.
Rice is a staple food in Ghana, with per capita consumption
increasing from 20 to 48 kg per year from 2000 to 2024, per data sourced
from the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CRI- CSIR).
Currently,
about 1.5 million metric tonnes of rice (milled) are consumed annually,
with approximately 50 per cent imported at a cost of around $400
million. This importation could be avoided if investments are made to
boost local production.
To achieve rice self-sufficiency, the
CRI-CSIR has developed many improved rice varieties. The Rural
Development Administration (RDA) of the Republic of Korea, through the
Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture, (KOPIA) Ghana Centre,
has produced certified seeds of farmer-preferred varieties at the
Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme.
The nine varieties are CRI-Agyapa,
CRI-Korea Mo, CRI-AgraRice, Legon 1(Ex Baika), CRI-Enapa, CRI-Kang Mo,
CRI-Onuapa, CRI-Tuo Mo and CRI-Amankwatia.
Speaking
to journalists on the sidelines of a field day organised for selected
farmers and other stakeholders last Tuesday, at the Dawhenya Irrigation
Scheme, a Chief Research Scientist at the CRI-CSIR, Dr Maxwell Darko
Asante, indicated that the new rice varieties were not only
high-yielding, highly aromatic, excellent cooking quality but also
mature within a short period.
The field day was to offer farmers
and other stakeholders first-hand experience of nine new varieties of
rice seeds developed by the CRI- CSIR for adoption by the farmers,
Dr
Asante stressed that the new varieties would produce more yield
compared to other rice varieties on the market and help mitigate rice
importation and help Ghana to attain self-sufficiency in rice
production.
“With these new varieties, farmers can have an
average yield of six tonnes per hectare compared to an existing yield of
3.2 to 3.5 tonnes per hectare,” he said attributing the low grain yield
to a multitude of constraints. Key among them include: poor land and
water management, ineffective fertiliser application regimes,
post-harvest losses as well as rainfall variability due to climate
change.
Dr
Asante stressed that by adopting those modern varieties, coupled with
good agronomic practices, farmers could double their yields and
ultimately help the country to become self-sufficient.
“Ghana
imports a lot of rice but the good news is that the country has the
capacity to produce all the rice that we need in Ghana. However, one of
the bottlenecks facing the industry is the availability of quality seeds
and good varieties,” he said.
Feedback
The field day,
apart from exposing participants to the nine improved varieties with
yields up to eight metric tonnes, also offered farmers, rice millers,
seed dealers and Ministry of Food and Agricultural officials the
opportunity to sample milled and cooked samples of the varieties that
were on display to taste and provide feedback.
Dr Asante said
promoting and cultivating improved varieties with consumer-preferred
cooking and eating qualities would significantly contribute to Ghana's
drive towards rice self-sufficiency, and reiterated calls on the
Government and private institutions to increase rice research to
increase production to meet domestic needs and reduce the country’s rice
import bill.
“What
we in research need is consistent support over a period to display what
we have for the farmers so that they will work with us to adapt these
research findings and technology to enhance food production and make
Ghana self-sufficient,” he said.
He explained that the nine
varieties consisted of low and upland varieties that facilitated
high-yielding returns within a short period, adding that the new
varieties were adaptive and could survive the effects of climate change
that caused low rice cultivation gains.
Dr Asante commended the
Korean Government for sponsoring the release of the varieties through
its Rural Development Administration (RDA) and the Korea Partnership for
Innovation of Agricultural (KOPIA) Ghana Centre.
Support
The
Director of KOPIA Ghana Centre, Dr Kim Choong-Hoe, lauded the
collaboration with CSIR-CRI and the farmers stressing that such
demonstration would facilitate the adoption of the best variety of seed
for rice cultivation to achieve high yields.
“We
do not want to produce seeds that are not wanted by the consumers. We
have to select the best one for the farmers to produce more rice to
reduce import of rice.”
He was optimistic that by the end of the
five-year intervention being sponsored by the Korean government to
produce quality rice seeds at the Dawhenya Irrigation Scheme, a total of
5,000 tonnes of the best variety of rice seeds would be distributed to
farmers across the country to support the country's rice
self-sufficiency drive.
The Deputy Director-General (DDG) of the
CSIR in charge of Research and Development resource mobilisation,
Professor Mrs Marian Dorcas Quain, lauded the partnership with the
Korean Government to produce high-yielding climate-smart rice varieties
that would increase the production of rice for local consumption and for
export.
The Ningo-Prampram District Director of Agriculture,
Prince Ofori-Boateng, said the new varieties would help to address
limited rice seed varieties in the system and boost the efforts of the
Ghanaian farmers to produce more.
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The
Project Manager of Aveyime Irrigation Scheme, who is also a farmer,
Samuel Debrah, said the future looked bright considering the role of
rice as an important staple in Ghana.
He said the on-field
demonstrations have exposed the farmers to effective ways to handle
certified rice seeds to maximise and sustain rice yields.
