AfricaRice feature : Ghana celebrates first national rice festival

Reflecting the growing importance of the rice sector in Ghana, the First National Rice Festival was organized in Accra, 7-9 November 2012, by the Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) under the theme “Growing a vibrant rice industry through public-private partnership for food security.” The aim of the Rice Festival was to bolster support for the local rice industry through public-private partnership and highlight the importance of the rice sector for increasing food security, reducing poverty and creating employment in the country. Underlining the efforts made by GRIB and its partners to increase rice production and quality, GRIB President Mr Imoro Amoro said, “The quality of local rice is as good as imported rice – in fact even better, as the local rice is fresh and without pesticides.” GRIB is stepping up efforts to institute quality-control mechanisms for local rice in order to meet international standards. The Rice Festival brought together representatives of rice stakeholders, including farmers, millers, processors, and traders as well as development agencies, national and international research organizations and donors. It was inaugurated by the 2012 National Best Farmer Mr Lemuel Kwashie Martey of Mannah Farms Limited. Speakers in the podcast (in order of appearance) : Alexander Darku, Chairman, Greater Accra Chefs Association, Ghana Imoro Amoro, President, GRIB, Ghana Theodora Catha Edu, Navrongo Rice Processor, Ghana Seidu Ali Sampare, Chief Technical Officer–Engineering, CSIR-FRI, Ghana Lemuel Kwashie Martey, Mannah Farms Limited, Ghana John Manful, Grain Quality Scientist, AfricaRice, Benin Podcast credit : Savitri Mohapatra, R.Raman, AfricaRice