Government procures rice mills to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses

Rice farmers in the country are set to benefit from some rice mills expected to arrive in the country from Brazil and India by the end of the year.

A major challenge hampering Ghana’s rice production has been a lack of sufficient mills to help in processing the produce, thereby leading to post-harvest loss.

According to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, acquiring the rice mills forms part of the government’s plan to support farmers under phase 2 of the Ghana COVID-19 alleviation and revitalization of enterprises support (CARES) Obaatanpa programme.

“As at now what we are putting out is looking at the tomato value chain, looking at poultry, rice and soya. All these crops involve the use of fertilizer; they also may require the extension service delivery, the use of chemicals and other agro-inputs so this has been catered for. We are looking towards the end of this year. We will be receiving some farm machines from India and Brazil. We are bringing in some smallholder rice mills because if you travel across the length and breadth of this country, the rice-producing areas do so much but at the end of the day they have post-harvest losses, and it is high time we add value, so we are looking at that aspect, and we are hoping that by the end of the day these machines would have arrived in the country for distribution to the rice farmers in the country”.

source: citinews