The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is test-planting first Locally Bred Rice varieties in Ghana at Dzamlome in the Kadjebi District of the Volta Region.

Three market-quality upland varieties; the B3 P6, B1 P5, and the B4 P1 are the products of years of cross breeding between lowland Jasmine 85 and upland Nerica1 stocks, under the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa initiative.

The Project is being supported by the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Corporation Initiative whose program; “Dissemination of Market Quality Rice Varieties to Reduce Rice Importation in Ghana,” is expected to end in July 2019.

The Centre for Conflict and Development, based in the USA, is also collaborating with the project seeking to relocate homeless persons on farms.

The Chief Research Director of CRI, Dr Stella Ama Annin, speaking at the launch of the testing and dissemination program of the new varieties, said the project’s aim was to “improve food security and outcomes of farmers through the use of adapted high yielding market quality rice varieties.”

Dr Stella Ama Annin said the cereals had the quality and matched the taste of imported brands and were expected to drive efforts at reducing rice imports.

She said the varieties were expected to produce 4 tonnes per hector on 40 farmers’ fields over 2 years, from the use of new varieties and obtained agronomic practices, and would result in at least a 10 % farmer revenue increment.

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