Ghana Buffer Stock Company to sustain drive for consumption of local rice

The Ghana Food Buffer Stock Company is set to roll out series of interventions with other state institutions to sustain the drive for the consumption of local rice.

According to them, this will help in the promotion and consumption of local rice.

Speaking to Citi News, Chief Executive of the Company, Hanan Abdul Wahab listed some of the steps being taken to assist with marketing opportunities for local rice farmers.

“Our plan is based on the expansion for foods for planting and jobs. We have also identified two main issues, lack of market, and the lack of storage.

“This play a very important role. You cannot go and buy a produce when you don’t have a place to keep it. You cannot go and buy a produce when you have no taste for it. So, the campaign for the consumption of the local foods is something that we all have to join from a point,” he said.

“We have started from government institutions. For example, when you look at other brands of Ghana rice, it is also their responsibility to come out and market what they are selling. We as a government will also come in and support what we are selling. It is not easy to introduce a food that has not been tasted or eaten by a student before from home. It took me and my team a great time to be able to penetrate this. And today the acceptability is so great,” he added.

The Company moved in earlier in the week to help mop-up a huge pile of metric tonnes of rice from fields in Northern Ghana.

This follows Citi TV’s report of rice in Northern Ghana going waste due to lack of market.

Samuel Attah-Mensah, CEO of Citi FM/TV subsequently declared himself an ambassador for the consumption of local rice.

He also launched the Ghana Rice Campaign to boost consumption of local varieties of the staple.

Ghana’s voracious appetite for imported rice according to some stakeholders has had an apparent negative effect on the national economy, thus the call to reduce or halt the over-dependence.

Citibusinessnews