Western Region has comparative advantage in rice production -Minister

Samahu (W/R)-Ghana, Dec. 04, GNA – Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, says the region has a comparative advantage in rice production in the country.
He said an estimated 2,639.1 hectares was under cultivation with the potential to cultivate an extra 5,624 hectares in the region.
Degraded mine lands of about 1,843.8 hectares could also be reclaimed for rice production, the Minister said.
The Western Regional Co-ordinating Council (WRCC) had, therefore, tasked the Department of Agriculture to work with a consultant on how to make the region a rice production hub.
Mr Darko – Mensah said this at Samahu in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality when the region held the 38th Farmers’ Day celebration, on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition.”
He said the Regional Co-ordinating Council had initiated a coconut project to raise 8,000,000 coconut seedlings for distribution to farmers.
“This will result in the revamping of the coconut industry to be an avenue for job creation and improve upon the livelihoods of the teeming youth in the Region,” he said.
Furthermore, the WRCC and the Department of Agriculture have established agriculture business partnership platforms, which supported market linkages, trade and value-chain actors in the agricultural space.
He gave the assurance that the government was committed to creating an enabling environment for farmers and fishers to operate to promote agriculture in a more sustainable manner.