As the West African Rice Investment Roundtable commences in Accra, Ghana, on the theme, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has called on colleague Agriculture and Finance ministers and governments to prioritize quality infrastructure for successful farming and rice production in West Africa.
He was speaking at the event held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra during a ministerial session on the policy of rice for self-sufficiency in West Africa.
According to Minister Kpaka, investments in infrastructure, like land development and good roads, will make farming production and cultivation less expensive in terms of prices compared to the imported ones.
With bad roads, he added, more expenses will be made, and this will allow producers to increase their prices, taking the amount spent in consideration.
He said it is important that governments encourage citizens to buy and eat locally grown rice even with its current cost, citing that with the political will of governments and in the future, many successful strides would be made in ensuring rice self-sufficiency in West Africa and weathering storms or challenges.
Delivering the keynote address at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable, Vice President of Ghana, Prof. Nana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, commended the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and partners for hosting such an event.
The West African region, she said, possesses fertile land, water resources, entrepreneurial farmers, a growing consumer market, and one of the youngest populations in the world, but noted that despite the region’s economic potential, Africa still spends more than 50 billion dollars or more annually on food imports, with rice accounting for a significant share of that amount.
Rice, she furthered, has become one of the most consumed staple foods across West Africa, with demand rising rapidly.
West Africa, the Vice President of Ghana said, must see rice as a strategic economic asset, as it is about jobs for young people, millions for farmers, and strengthening the resilience of our economy against future global shocks.
“Africa must therefore position herself as a capable production powerhouse," she added, while concluding that her country, Ghana, is committed to strengthening policy formation, deepening regional cooperation, help creating an enabling environment that attracts long-term production investment across the rice value chain.
Rice remains the region’s fastest -growing staple food and has been identified as a strategic value chain capable of consolidating food security, attracting private capital, and driving complete growth.
Accompanied by officials from other MDA's, the High Commissioner of Sierra Leone in Accra, Ghana, H.E. Mohamed Hassan Kaisamba, and some of his diplomatic staff were also in attendance.
