The minister (middle) with the participants
Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, has said that the region has the potential to produce enough rice to feed the country, boost the economy and enhance the livelihood of farmers and rural folks.
She said the Central Region is aiming to be a rice production hub of Ghana and also to produce rice seedlings for rice farmers in the country.
“Undoubtedly, the region has the capacity and prospects to produce rice to meet local demand and for export as well,” she said when she led a 14-member team from Ghana to Seoul, South Korea, to participate in a training programme on rice value chain improvement in the Central Region.
The 10-day training programme is being organised and sponsored by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The purpose of the training is to let participants get firsthand information on how Korea was able to become rice sufficient and eliminate rice imports, which has boosted their economy.
The programme also aims at equipping participants with the best practices in South Korea, and expose them to their success story in rice production.
Participants went for a study trip to Korea Rural Development Administration, Korea rice production complexes and related institutions.
Mrs. Assan revealed that the knowledge the participants will acquire would help to increase quality and add value to rice production in the Central Region.
She said: “We will adopt the methods used by Korea to boost the rice industry and also strengthen the relationship between the region and KOICA.”
Mrs. Assan said KOICA was currently operating in five districts in the Central Region namely, Gomoa East, Assin Fosu, Assin South, Assin North and Twifo Atti-Morkwa, and has engaged the services of 514 farmers in the cultivation of rice.
The Central Regional Minister said the training has been an eye opener and that the Korean economic boom was through collective efforts and the will of the people to help themselves.
“Korea was once poor in the 1950s due to wars but have been able to overcome all challenges and risen from grass to grace … we can also do it.”