Three (3) rice producing districts in Ghana have benefitted from an initiative by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The initiative, which involved the delivery, installation, and commissioning of various rice processing equipment, aims to enhance both technology and quality control in rice processing.
Project Partners
With funding from the Government of Japan, the project is being implemented by UNIDO, in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry
The Beneficiary Districts
The beneficiary districts, Mion in the Northern Region, Ahafo Ano North and Bekwai in the Ashanti Region face challenges such as inadequate processing facilities and outdated equipment that often result in poor quality and low output. Hence, UNIDO’s intervention, promises to change this narrative, by offering the local communities’ state-of-the-art equipment as well as comprehensive training on how to operate and maintain these machines.
The Communities
The initiative has been met with overwhelming gratitude from the beneficiary communities, including Sakpe, Sang, Kpabia and Sanbu in the Mion district, and Tepa and Bekwai in the Ahafo Ano North and Bekwai Municipalities respectively. These communities have expressed their excitement over the positive impact it will have on their rice production.
For many of the beneficiaries, this project represents the first step towards a more sustainable and prosperous future in rice farming.
Point of View of the Beneficiaries
A beneficiary, Mr. Zakaria Hardi is a rice miller at Sakpe. He lauded the initiative saying it’s a big relief especially for the women in the rice value chain.
“Previously, the women here would have to carry their rice and travel long distances to communities that have the equipment to mill their rice. High transportation charges are all challenges but now that UNIDO has donated and installed one for us, we will no longer go through this anymore”- He said.
A rice miller at Tepa, Mr. Salifu Issaka was happy to be a beneficiary. “Previously, we don’t have equipment for grading our rice but with this modern equipment, it will be a game changer in the processing process”
Improved Quality and Efficiency
With the new machinery in place, local farmers and processors can now benefit from improved efficiency and higher-quality rice production. The modern processing equipment is expected to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance rice milling quality, and increase the overall volume of rice that can be processed, addressing a major bottleneck in the industry.
“Despite the Mion District being known as a rice producing district in the region, the issues of post-harvest loss has always remained a challenge. Now, with the intervention from UNIDO and the Government of Japan, this is going to help players in the rice value chain as the quality of the rice in the district will be improved” – The District Director of Agriculture in the Mion District, Mr. Akibu Hardi stressed.
Comprehensive Training
Alongside the delivery of the equipment, UNIDO conducted extensive training for members of the beneficiary communities on the proper use of the machinery. Experts guided them on everything from basic operations to maintenance, ensuring that they can take full advantage of the technology and sustain its benefits for years to come.
A Step Toward Economic Growth
The intervention by UNIDO is seen as a significant step toward boosting the local economy and improving food security in the region. By increasing the production of high-quality rice, the initiative is poised to make a lasting impact on the livelihoods of farmers and processors, potentially opening up new markets for their products.
Point of View of the Women Groups
Many of the women groups at Sang, hailed the project stressing how it’s going to empower their communities. They say previously, UNIDO had trained them on the quality processing of rice and now the supply of advance rice milling facilities and equipment to test the moisture content of the rice before milling is something they remain grateful for.
In return these women groups composed a song for UNIDO and its officials for the investment in their future as they now hope to produce better, and have their livelihoods improved.
The Culture of Maintenance
According to the District Director of Agriculture in the Mion District, Mr. Akibu Hardi, the district had only one milling facility and with three more being added, they would assure UNIDO of its proper maintenance to ensure longevity.
“We have a district engineer at the department level and so we are going to sit with the beneficiaries to draw a plan on how to maintain this equipment so that this special initiative by UNIDO and its partners does not go waste. In fact in the whole of the Northern Region we are the only beneficiary district so it tells you that we are doing some right and we will ensure that in the future if UNIDO officials should visit us, they can be proud of us”, he said.
The Birth of the Initiative
According to the National Project Coordinator for the ITEQ-Rice Project, Mr. Carl Makafui Acolatse, the initiative began some three (3) years ago with the main purpose of supporting local rice producers and processors to improve the quality of locally produced rice.
“We all know how the perception of imported rice is as compared to local rice. So, we decided to support them with the necessary training, skills, and equipment to upgrade their production and processing facilities thereby impacting on the quality of rice that is produced locally.
The Project Pillars
Mr. Carl Makafui Acolatse revealed that, the project is based on three (3) thematic components. He said the first component, is the supporting of rice farmers, rice millers, aggregators and those in the rice value chain with training, capacity building and equipment donation.
The second component he said focuses on Ghana’s National Quality Assurance System where the project is supporting institutions such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), and the Food Research Institute (CSIR-FRI), with training, and the supply of essential laboratory equipment among others.
The third component is building partnerships and linkages where they organize symposia, conferences, study tours “we have organized so far two study tours – one that took a cross section of rice value chain administrators and actors all the way to Japan to study advance rice technologies and another that took selected government officials and rice value chain administrators to Côte d’Ivoire to study specifically rice parboiling at the Africa Rice Research Centre”
A Bright Future Ahead
As UNIDO’s ITEQ-Rice project continues to provide support to communities across the Northern and Ashanti Regions, the hope is that the beneficiary districts will serve as a model for how technology can address long-standing agricultural challenges. With improved processing facilities, better training, and enhanced quality control, the future of rice production in Ghana looks promising, offering greater economic opportunities for all involved.
