“Respect Akufo-Addo's Directive On Local Rice Use” – Stakeholders tells State Institutions

Chief Executive Officer for the John A. Kufuor Foundation Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah is urging public and government institutions to start using Ghana Rice for their programmes and activities as directed by the President.

Prof. Agyeman-Duah believes that an enabling policy environment will facilitate massive uptake of the Ghana Rice sector for increased productivity to make the Ghana Rice sector a viable business for farmers.

“We are working tirelessly in different capacities to promote the adoption of Ghana Rice to reduce the country’s dependence on imported rice” he added.

Prof. Agyeman-Duah made these remarks during a press conference organized by The John A. Kufuor Foundation in partnership with value chain institutions such as the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB), the Miller’s Association of Ghana and Hopeline Institute to commend the president’s executive order on the consumption of Ghana Rice.

He believes that the growth of the rice industry in Ghana would lead to massive job creation and save Ghana millions cedi’s.

The Value Chain Actors urged everybody to eat grown in Ghana rice, “So for this Christmas, as you go out to buy your rice, please make sure you are buying rice which is grown in Ghana; let’s buy and eat made in Ghana rice,” they added. Below is the press release by the Value Chain Actors.

PRESS RELEASE:
COMMENDATION TO THE PRESIDENT FOR DIRECTIVE ON GHANA RICE

We would like to warmly applaud the directive by the President H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, that all state institutions must procure Ghana rice, beginning next year.

The John A. Kufuor Foundation in partnership with value chain institutions such as the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB), the Miller’s Association of Ghana and Hopeline Institute, have been working tirelessly in different capacities to promote the adoption of Ghana Rice to reduce the country’s dependence on imported rice.

After years of collaborating in diverse ways, mainly through policy and advocacy for reforms in the rice sector, we find it immensely important that this bold step will be undertaken by government.

The president’s directive comes at a very opportune time when local producers, together with government and importers are working out modalities for import substitution in the rice sector.

We would like to use this opportunity to reiterate our full commitment to creating a viable local rice sector where Ghana will become self-sufficient. We believe that the government’s target of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production by 2023 is achievable and we will work to support this goal.

In view of this, we would like to outline the following actions in support of the government’s decision.

KEY POINTS
1. We are unreservedly happy by the President’s directive that all state institutions to procure Ghana rice. This will go a long way to revitalise the local industry which has been blighted by decline.

2. The Foundation and its partners shall, as a matter of urgency, work out strategies for improving service delivery by developing a monitoring mechanism to ensure that public institutions adhere to the directive of the president.

3. We shall also, in collaboration with other partners, evolve effective and institutionalized monitoring and evaluation frameworks/strategies for monitoring and/or evaluating the compliance with the president’s directive.

4. We shall also engage further with other state institutions to develop measures that will encourage nationwide adoption of Ghana rice.

5. The Foundation will support the value chain actors to forge closer ties to address the challenges of the rice sector and to create the most conducive environment.

Once again, we will like to express our sincerest gratitude to the president and also reaffirm our commitment to promoting Ghana rice and ending the country’s dependence on imported rice.

Signed
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The John A. Kufuor Foundation
The Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB)
The Miller’s Association of Ghana
Hopeline Institute Ghana