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ASSIN FOSO: Rice milling factory at Assin Akropong to be commissioned soon

The quest for government to ensure rice farmers in the Assin Central Municipality to reap better dividends from their toil through value addition has compelled government to institute a rice milling plant at Assin Akropong for use by farmers.

Date Created : 4/17/2023 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Dominic Shirimori/Ghanadistricts.com

Rice consumption has become one of the staples of Ghanaian communities with government spending over US$560million in 2023 on rice importation to meet the demands of its citizens.

However, with the introduction of the one district one factory initiative by the government, government is looking at ensuring the country increases its rice production to aid domestic consumption and to boost import substitution drive in order to strengthen the local currency - the cedis.

It is for this reason that government with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is establishing a rice milling factory at Assin Akropong in the Assin Central Municipality to help improve rice value chain in the area.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Nicholas Kofi Baako speaking on the impact of the milling factory to frmers in the area and the economy of the municipality said experts have identified that the inland valley used for the cultivation of rice in the Assin areas is about the biggest in the whole region and from sources when the land is properly used for rice cultivation, it can adequately feed three regions.

It is for this reason that it was decided that the factory be sited close to the three Assin districts; (Assin Foso, Assin North and Assin South) but it would serve the entire region where rice is cultivated including areas outside the region but close to the area like New Edubiase.

According to him, the economic value of the factory to the people in the region, and the economy of the region itself cannot be overemphasized; adding that a lot of people who hitheto were not into rice farming due to financial constraints would now have the opportunity to cultivate since there would be other assistance to farmers including imputs and seedlings.

"The farmhands that all these farmers will engage will go a long way to lessen the unemployment rate in the municipality and the region at large", he stated.

According to him, a test-run of the factory has already been conducted and an appropriate time is been considered for the inauguration of the factory for full scale-production.

He asserts that the rice to be named Central Rice would go to the market and as soon as production begins.

Aside the rice production, other benefits like animal feed production for pig, fowl, among others would be carried out to boost those sectors too as the animals' husbandry struggles with feed for the animals.