A rice processing plant at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region has been left idle due to inadequate supply of locally produced paddy to sustain its operations.
The facility, established in July 2021 at a cost of GH¢7.243 million, was intended to support local rice farmers, increase processing capacity and help reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported rice.
However, the plant is currently not operational, with weeds overgrowing parts of the facility’s premises.
Fitted with modern equipment capable of processing between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of rice per hour, the plant has the capacity to mill and sort rice to meet the quality standards of imported rice.
Some rice farmers in the district attribute the low production to limited access to farm inputs, machinery and capital.
According to the farmers, many rely on loans from individuals to finance their operations, with some lenders taking portions of the harvested rice as repayment at the end of the farming season.
They say this leaves them with little capital to invest in the next season, making it difficult to expand their farms and produce enough paddy for the processing plant.
The farmers are therefore appealing to the government to provide modern farming machinery, improved rice seeds, nets, chemicals and financial support to boost production.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, has also urged the government to invest more in local rice production to provide the plant with the raw materials needed to operate.
He says the facility could supply quality locally processed rice to institutions, particularly Senior High Schools in the Bono Region, while helping reduce the country’s reliance on imported rice.
Meanwhile, the Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness at the Office of the President, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, says the government is extending the DÉ” Bi Di farming initiative to rice farmers in the area.
He says the initiative will support farmer groups with improved seeds, machinery and other inputs to increase paddy production and ensure a steady supply of raw materials to the processing plant.
Dr Otokunor says the programme is particularly targeted at smallholder farmers who often struggle to access credit because they lack collateral.
According to him, the initiative provides support at various stages of rice production to enable farmers to increase their output and improve their economic independence.
For farmers in Dormaa West, the success of the initiative could determine whether the Nkrankwanta plant returns to full operation.
They believe reviving the facility would not only prevent the GH¢7.243 million investment from remaining idle but also create a reliable market for local farmers, boost rice production in the district and contribute to efforts to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported rice.
