Somanya rice farmers struggle to find market for local produce

Rice farmers at Adelakope in Somanya are lamenting the lack of market access for their produce, despite insisting they have the capacity to meet Ghana’s annual rice demand if given the necessary government support.

According to the farmers, the persistent preference for imported rice has left tonnes of paddy rice unsold, with large quantities at risk of deterioration.

They note that because local traders are struggling to sell Ghana-grown rice, they are unable to continue purchasing from farmers — creating a dire cycle of low sales and rising post-harvest losses.

The concerns were raised when the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, together with the Climate Change Caucus, visited the rice farms in the area.

The farmers stressed that the increasing appetite for foreign rice is threatening the sustainability of local rice production.

The farmers appealed to government for logistical and market support to enhance production and guarantee sales.

A member of the committee, Dickson Kyereh Duah, urged government to introduce measures to reduce methane emissions associated with rice farming as part of national efforts to combat climate change.