1D1F: Farmers at Nkrankwanta Get Rice Processing Factory to Curb Post Harvest Losses
Rice Processing Factory at Forms West Constituency
A rice processing factory under the one District one factory initiative at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West Constituency is near completion.
According to the information available to coverghana indicates that the factory is near completion and machines have been installed in the factory awaiting Test run and commissioning.
The rice Processing Factory project is part of Government’s 1D1F program considering the challenges rice farmers in the region go through to process and get market for their produce.
The factory when completed will help salvage the postharvest loses rice farmers in the region usually suffer and hence serve as a source of additional income to them and create employment as well.
BELOW ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE PROGRESS OF WORK ON THE FACTORY
About Rice Production and Consumption in Ghana
According to Kula and Dormon (2009) Ghana’s rice production assessments range from 200,000 to 300,000 MT of paddy of which the bulk comes from the Upper East, Northern and Volta Regions. The rice production coming from Upper East is estimated to be 27%. In Ghana, substantial amounts of rice are produced in all regions except central. However sixty percent (66%) of the national production comes from Northern Ghana.
Rice Postharvest Loses
Even though 60% of rice produced in Ghana comes from Northern Ghana, rice farmers from that part of the country continuously suffer postharvest loses. These farmers situation is bedevilled with lack of combine harvesters during the peak harvest season. Other challenges the farmers face is at the farm gates where tons of rice remain uncollected for a long time due to unavailability of transport, storage facilities, pest and processing. Last year, rice farmers at the Fumbiisi rice valleys in the Upper East Region sold their produce at rock-bottom prices to market women for need of cash to settle debts incurred in the course of production. These debts were incurred as a result of lack of combine harvesters to harvest their produce leading to a competition over the only available one. They sold three bags of rice for the price of two, each bag costing GH¢220.00.
Ghanaians have been encouraged to purchase rice produced in Ghana to reduce the importation of rice and also to keep rice farmers in business.
