The ministries of Food and Agriculture and Trade and Industries have been urged to ensure that the Ghana National Procurement Agency (GNPA) purchases locally produced rice to promote production and to guarantee prices for farmers.

Mr Zac Dodoo, Managing Director of Ottofio Food Agency, a rice milling company at Dawahenya, who was speaking to the GNA in Accra, on Monday, requested government to encourage GNPA, as the largest importer of the commodity to purchase locally produced rice.

He said the banks should also be encouraged to assist farmers with loans and credit facilities to increase production to ensure food security and save hard currency for the country.

Mr Dodoo said the company with the capacity of milling 100 bags of rice a day has marketing problems because GNPA, which was supposed to purchase the produce has failed to do so.

He commended the government for promoting production of grains and cereals locally and said a task force should be formed to facilitate efforts in that direction.

Mr John Adaminor, a Director of the company, said the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), which finances farmers at Asutuare and buys their produce is ready to release paddy it is holding to "good millers" that could find ready market.

He noted that the provision of subsidised inputs and the availability of market would encourage farmers to increase production, enable investors to add value to agricultural produce and help create jobs for the unemployed youth.