Accra: The District Chief Executive for Shai Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region, Ignatius Godfred Dordoe, is appealing to the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the National Food Buffer Stock Company to urgently intervene to help purchase large quantities of locally produced rice that remain unsold in the district.
According to Ghana Web, rice farmers within the Osudoku enclave are currently facing a glut as significant volumes of the commodity remain stored in silos due to the lack of ready markets. Speaking on the Accra-based Class 91.3 FM Morning Show, Dordoe highlighted that the issue of market access was raised during a recent visit by the agriculture minister to the area.
Dordoe noted that although rice produced in the district is of high quality, local farmers are unable to compete with cheaper imported rice on the market. He explained that the price difference makes it difficult for buyers, particularly those in the food industry, to patronize locally produced rice.
The DCE urged the National Food Buffer Stock Company to step in and support farmers by purchasing the excess rice currently sitting in storage facilities. He emphasized the need for special markets or interventions to assist the farmers, as a significant amount of rice remains unsold in storage.
Dordoe further revealed that the district has about 4,000 hectares of rice under irrigation, enabling farmers to cultivate the crop twice each year and produce large quantities per season. He stressed that without urgent intervention to create reliable markets for the produce, farmers in the Osudoku enclave will continue to face challenges despite their high production capacity.