The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has urged government and the private sector to increase investment in technologies suitable for climate change mitigation to improve people’s diets.
Dr. Maxwell D. Asante, the Principal Researcher (Rice Breeder), CSIR-Crop Research Institute (CRI), Ghana, noted that upgrading technologies would create wealth for farmers and improve their livelihoods.
“There is a need to upgrade technologies along the value chain for greater impact on the national economy,” he said.
Dr Asante made the call in a presentation to more than 100 participants during a Webinar organized by CSIR, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI).
It was on the theme: “CSIR for sustainable development and wealth creation: focus on domestic rice production for import substitution”.
He said Ghana has released 40 rice varieties, of which 39 are from CSIR (CRI and Savannah Research Institute or SARI) and one jointly developed by CRI and the University of Ghana.
The rice varieties were found to be highly competitive internationally.
He mentioned some of the varieties as SARI Gbewaa Rice (Jasmine 85), CRI-Agra, CRI-Amankwatia, CRI-Agyapa, CRI-Enapa, CRI-Fosu, CRI-Cho and CRI-Kafaci among others.
These innovative rice varieties are capable of yielding from four to 9.5 metric tons, with aromatic (aromatic) qualities, a maturity period of 95 to 105 days, efficient nitrogen utilization, and resistance to disease, drought, and anaerobic vegetation.
Dr. Asante highlighted some important interventions of CSIR in land development and water management.
These include the SAWAH technology and the alternative wet and dry (AWD) technique, which are instrumental in promoting agricultural practices in Ghana.
As the SAWAH technology helped integrate land management, including clogging, leveling and puddling, water and fertilizers for increased rice production, AWD reduced water by 30 percent without reducing grain yield.
CSIR also developed an automated water tablet consisting of light, sound and mobile phones for efficient use of water in rice cultivation.
While significant strides have been made to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production, there is still considerable dependence on imports.
According to data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in 2023, 50 percent of Ghana’s rice demand is still imported, amounting to about US$400 million.
Expressing concern over the situation, Dr. Asante expressed fear that local rice farmers may face challenges and possibly abandon their agricultural pursuits.
“This is due to the influx of imported rice into the market, as domestic rice produced by these farmers often remains unsold and, on shelves or mills, struggles to compete with imported alternatives,” he said.
Professor Ms. Marian Quain, the Deputy Director General, CSIR, urged the government to implement policies to strengthen the rice production self-sufficiency campaign.
He noted that Nigeria, which successfully banned rice imports, had done so due, in part, to the expertise provided by Ghana’s CSIR.
Consequently, Prof. Quain emphasized the importance of government support for the establishment of storage facilities for rice seeds.
This would not only ensure Ghana’s food security in the future, but also contribute to the overall success of the rice self-sufficiency initiative.