The Managing Director of GhanaMade Company Limited, a leading private company whose objective is to help propel and sustain Ghana’s economic development through the promotion and marketing of made-in-Ghana products, has pointed to the growing strength of her company’s brands of rice and other products as a positive indicator for Ghana.

According to Mrs Comfort Aniagyei, the growing demand for GhanaMade brands of rice such as Oman Ba fragrant rice, Odeneho Brown Rice and other high quality made-in-Ghana products sold in the GhanaMade stores is the cause of her optimism.

Some branches of the GhanaMade stores, she indicated, are located on the Spintex road in Accra, Community One market in Tema, Accra Polytechnic, Nungua and Asamankese in the Eastern region among others.

The story about locally grown and milled rice she noted was completely different some years ago as it did not gain the recognition it does today.

“I am proud to say that with the emergence of GhanaMade that has drastically changed now. One thing we at GhanaMade are excited about is the fact that we have been able to win over the hearts and minds of most Ghanaians who now prefer local rice to the imported ones,” Mrs Aniagyei remarked.

She pointed to the standard of the company’s rice production and packaging as one of the factors behind the strong performance of GhanaMade rice on the local front. She admitted that even though there is room for improvement the company is increasingly focused on giving its patrons the best of rice in all of its outlets.

Mrs Aniagyei pointed out that GhanaMade Company in partnership with other stakeholders have made huge investments in the area of rice cultivation, the milling process which includes de-stoning to take away stones from the paddy rice and grading to produce very high quality rice and was therefore not surprised at the growing demand for the rice.

She continued that recognition of GhanaMade by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) with a certificate for its role in the promotion of made-in-Ghana products at an awards ceremony in Accra last year has continued to spur her company to do a lot more in promoting and marketing locally produced goods.

In an answer to a question as to what has been the secret behind the success of the company’s rice in the face of the challenges confronting the local rice sector, the GhanaMade MD remarked “adherence to high quality standards and the high level of integrity with which we approach our relationship with various stakeholders explain why we continue to thrive in a very hostile arena”.

She commended the rural farmers who have been engaged by her company to help produce the various brands and added that these Ghanaian farmers labour against the odds to produce the rice, and should therefore not be spurned by their own kith and kin in preference for imported rice from the US, Thailand, China etc.

Shifting away from the performance of her company’s rice she quickly mentioned that GhanaMade stores also sell high quality locally produced cereals, instant foods like fufu, banku and konkonte, beverages, fruit juices, soaps, shower gel, aluminum products, footwear, clothing etc.

Concluding, she passionately appealed to Ghanaians both home and abroad in particular, other Africans and friends of Africa to continue to patronize locally manufactured products especially during the upcoming Christmas season.

Mrs Aniagyei stated that for each locally-produced item that is purchased, the potential for job-creation and the overall economic development of the nation is attained. Therein, she added, lies the salvation of Africa.