Japan supports rice production efforts (9/04/09) BP

Story: Jennifer Dornoo
THE Japanese government has handed machinery worth over $3.2 million to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to help revamp the production of rice.
The machinery, which includes 78 tractors, 20 rice mills and 22 water pumps were procured under the Japanese Government Grant Assistance for underprivileged farmers in 2007.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, who did the handing over, said the machinery is to be distributed to farmers on hire-purchase basis to improve the rice sector.
He said this was part of steps being taken by the Government of Ghana to reduce poverty and accelerate development by modernising Agriculture.
The ambassador commended the efforts of government to modernise rice production to enable the country attain self-sufficiency and ensure food security through increased production.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, said Ghana’s mechanisation policy was aimed at making available, appropriate sizes and capacities of machinery and equipment to all categories of farmers.
Mr Ahwoi expressed his appreciation to the government and people of Japan and expressed the hope that the coming years would see more of such fruitful co-operation between the two countries.
He said the Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate (AESD) of the ministry had a team of engineers and technicians who were ready to train and update the technical skills of tractor operators and mechanics throughout the country to make them more efficient in handling the machines.
He appealed to beneficiaries from the Eastern, Volta and the three northern regions of Ghana to do their instalment payments on time to enable the Japanese and Ghanaian governments sustain the programme.