Madam Justine Kakraba, a farmer and Treasurer of Madomise Women Farmers Association, an association of women rice farmers in Akpafu Odomi in the Oti Region has called on government to support more women farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.

She said government’s support to women farmers would enable them produce more for food security and also take care of their homes well.

Madam Kakraba said rice farmers in the area were still struggling in cultivating the cereal due to the nature of the land, lack of harvesting and processing machines, the unavailability of labour and ready market for their produce and called for "special" support under the Planting for Food and Jobs.

She said an attempt by the group to secure a combine harvester to assist farmers in the area during a harvesting season did not yield any result due to stumps on the land and appealed for support in levelling farmlands for easy harvest.

Madam Kakraba said with support from the GIZ and Ministry for Food and Agriculture, they had improved on the quality of their production and invited the public to develop interest for the local rice.

She said the poor nature of roads was negatively affecting agribusiness and asked that the roads be fixed on time.

Madam Janet Adade, President of Madomise Women Farmers Association, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the unavailability of harvesting and processing machines was a major concern for the Association.

She said the supply of harvesting machines and setting up of a processing centre will promote membership drive and help the Association register under the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and get more clients.

Mr Andrews Teddy Ofori, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the Hohoe Municipal Assembly would get a rice factory under government’s One District One Factory (1D1F) flagship programme.

He said the factory would engage about 1,000 out-growers and also serve as a ready market for the farmers to help reduce post-harvest losses.

Madomise Women Farmers Association, which was established in 2012 as a recognised women group with the aim of bringing women rice farmers in the area together has a total membership of 30.

The Akpafu Odomi area produces an average of 10,000 tonnes of rice yearly and has about 300 women rice farmers.