This has to begin with the building of capacity as well as enhancing the knowledge of farmers, experts and stakeholders in the rice value chain.

The Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr Solomon Gyan Ansah, who made the call, said that would not only improve production but also enhance its nutrition and promote environmental sustainability.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Rice Master Training Programme (RMTP) in Sunyani, Dr Ansah said to add value to local rice would also help cut the sub-region's heavy reliance on exports.

Training

The RMTP was held on the initiative of the GIZ, AfricaRice, the Market Oriented Value Chain for Jobs and Growth in ECOWAS Region (MOVE).

Participants in the training

It was attended by agricultural consultants, rice millers, farmers and stakeholders drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte-d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Senegal.

The RMTP is specifically designed to tackle the challenges facing the rice sector by equipping the stakeholders with the necessary knowledge and skills to enhance the rice value chain from production to processing and distribution.

Its primary objective is to empower participants with the tools needed to drive innovation and develop sustainable solutions within the rice sector.

Huge prospect

Dr Ansah indicated that the local rice sector had huge prospects that could contribute to eradicating poverty and enhancing food productivity in the sub-region and stated that adding value to local rice production would significantly impact the welfare of the vulnerable population.

"The African rice production falls short of meeting consumer demands in both quantity and quality”, he stated, adding that it increased the sub-region's heavy reliance on imports from Asia.

“There is, therefore, the need for a concerted effort to empower and strengthen the local value chain and thereby enhance domestic production,” the MoFA Director of Crops Services emphasised.

Enhancing rice production

The Director-General of AfricaRice, Dr Baboucarr Manneh, highlighted the relevance of the training programme, saying it was crucial not only for the agricultural sector but also for the millions of people who relied on rice as a staple food and source of income.

He said the "training is the beginning of a journey towards enhancing rice production, promoting innovation, and empowering a new generation of experts to tackle challenges and capitalise on opportunities in the rice sector"

Dr Manneh, also the West and Central Africa Regional Director of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), noted that throughout history, rice remained a source of sustenance and a means of livelihood for families and a preserver of tradition.

“The future, therefore, calls for a shift towards sustainability, resilience and innovation in rice cultivation,” Dr Manneh said.

The Project Leader, GIZ/MOVE,  Florian Winckler , called for a need to build a resilient, sustainable and thriving rice sector that would not only bolster food security but also drive economic growth and improve livelihoods in the sub-region and beyond.

He, therefore, urged participants to leverage the training to enhance their understanding in the rice value chain to contribute to the sector's transformation.