The Brazil Agrobusiness Group, a company focused exclusively on rice cultivation at Kpenu, near Dabala in the South Tongu District is to double production by 2020.

The Company’s rice harvest currently corresponds to 2,220 hectares annually with the potential to produce up to 155,400 tons of rice, Ms Lidiane Jaconi, Managing Director of the Company, said on Thursday.

She was interacting with some executive members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)-Volta/Eastern chapter, who were on a tour of industries in the southern part of the Volta Region.

Ms Jaconi said the Company was opening up 60 hectares monthly to meet demands of the local market and to help “develop and stimulate agriculture” and create jobs in the country.

She described the Kpenu area as good for rice cultivation with the “right climate conditions, soil and humidity, which are primordial bases for farm development”.

Ms Jaconi said those factors and their “cultivation methods” were raising the quality of grains produced high and changing the view of the quality of rice produced in the country.

She said the Company was enjoying good relationship with the local communities and hinted of plans to acquire more lands.

At the Diamond Salt Factory, Mr Manthiramurthy Ramaligam, Manager, Salt Works, of the Company, said taxes and challenges in acquiring land were affecting the Company’s expansion plans.

Mr Dela Gadzanku, President, AGI, Volta/Eastern commended the industries for setting up in the Volta Region and urged them to take advantage of government’s “one district, one factory” initiative to expand and grow the local economy.

The team also visited some hospitality industries.