The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) says it is poised to achieve a growth rate of 20 percent per annum in rice production and a surplus of 13 percent by 2018.

Clement Kofi Humado, Minister of Food & Agriculture, who made this known at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday to highlight achievement in the agriculture sector over the years, said his outfit also intends to boost livestock, poultry and tomato production in the next four years.

According to Mr. Humado, such measures could enable the country to attain self-sufficiency in the afore-stated areas.

Mr. Humado said “at average growth rate of 13.2 percent, 60 percent self-sufficiency in rice production could be achieved in 2016. At this rate 99 percent sufficiency could be reached in 2020.”

He said at average growth rate of 20 percent, 80 percent self-sufficiency could be reached in 2016, adding that “to attain 100 percent self-sufficiency in rice production by 2016, production has to grow at a constant rate of 29 percent between 2014 and 2016.”

Commenting on strategies to boost rice production, the sector minister said the ministry would strive to promote smallholder production, as well as domestic rice production on commercial agric-business enterprises in order to close the deficit gap.

He said there would be development of a national rice seed roadmap to ensure national self-sufficiency in quality rice seed production by 2018.

On the issue of increased livestock and poultry production, Mr. Humado indicated that by the end of 2016, import of chicken into the country would be reduced by 40 percent.

He said 52,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs would be created for the youth.

Mr. Humado added that MoFA was in partnership with the University of Ghana in adaptive research into high value tomato and other vegetable crop production under protected systems in the country.