The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Majeeb Haroun says the major problem facing the local rice industry is poor milling. He said under Japan's South-South Cooperation Support Programme a rice-milling expert from Egypt will be coming in to help improve the quality of milled rice.

Dr. Haroun said a programme is being drawn up to fully utilize the world-class rice mill at Aveyime. "It will include providing enough funds to cultivate more than 2,000 acres at Aveyime twice this year as well as encouraging rice farmers at Afife, Kpong, Dawenya and other irrigated sites to produce enough rice to feed the mill."

The Minister was speaking at a seminar on "Boosting Rice Production in Ghana - The Experience of America", in Accra on Wednesday.

He said the Ministry will review and better coordinate its technical and technological services to farmers and fishermen to improve efficiency and performance in the production, processing and marketing of staples.

The Director of Continental Commodities Trading Company (CCTC), Mr. Nabil E. Moukarzel said in a developing economy such as Ghana's, agriculture will remain the primary activity that will trigger growth and development. He said though the rice industry is yet to experience the desired growth, it has all that it takes to make it beneficial.