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May 7, 2026
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CSIR-CRI trains rice farmers, value chain actors on good agronomic practices
Money
Policy
Opportunity
Growth
Key Points
- Rice farmers, millers, aggregators, and seed producers in Ghana received training on good agronomic practices from CSIR-CRI.
- The training is part of the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) Rice project, focused on increasing rice productivity.
- The KAFACI project has enabled CSIR-CRI to release over 10 high-yielding, often climate-smart, rice varieties over the past decade.
- The initiative aims to close the significant yield gap between research fields (8.0 tonnes/ha) and farmers' fields (3.5 tonnes/ha) through education and best practices.
- Experts called for continuous research, regular input supply, and a favorable policy environment to boost local production, reduce imports, and achieve rice self-sufficiency.
Why This Matters
This initiative is crucial for Ghana as it directly addresses food security and economic stability by aiming to significantly increase local rice production. By bridging the yield gap and promoting best practices, Ghana can reduce its heavy reliance on rice imports, saving foreign exchange and creating a more robust domestic agricultural sector.
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