The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) says talks are ongoing with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to set out the modalities for high requirements and standards that will make foreign rice unattractive in Ghana.

According to the Executive Director of the GSA, Professor Alex Dodoo, the move is expected to give more prominence to locally produced Ghanaian rice unto the market as well as protecting Ghanaian consumers and businesses.

“I have had a conversation with the lead campaigner of ‘Buy Made in Ghana Rice’ and what we have told them is that we (GSA and FDA) will ensure that Ghanaians set a standard that will make it unattractive for foreign rice to enter into the country. Now that there is a campaign and the ability to produce rice locally, the question we should ask is why do we want to import rice that has been kept for some 10 years, we have started those discussions and we are very keen that we set out the requirements for rice so high that Ghana made rice will compete way above any other rice.”

Professor Alex Dodoo made this known in an interview with GhanaWeb on Wednesday, December 11 in Accra.

He, however, says the notion that some people may think it is rather setting a barrier on the rice market is a wrong one, but rather protecting the Ghanaian public by setting these high standards.

“For me and for most people in the field, having rice which is so old that it’s been treated with chemicals for years is harmful to our health so why should we patronize it. We’re looking at these requirements and definitely it will change soon to project the Ghanaian consumer and Ghanaian businesses,” he concluded.

Buy Ghana Rice Campaign

Earlier, local rice producers and dealers across the country have expressed worry over the difficulty in accessing market avenues for the purchase of their production of local rice in large quantities.

According to them, there’s been an influx of foreign imported rice flooding the market and destroying their businesses.

Recently, President Nana Akufo-Addo in his speech at the 35th National Farmers’ Day celebration appealed to Ghanaians to consume local rice just like he does with his family, arguing that if Ghanaians consumed more local rice, it would boost production and lead to self-sufficiency.