Former
President Jerry John Rawlings has thrown his weight behind the “Eat
Ghana Rice’ campaign, describing it as a good course for the country.
He says its time Ghanaians consumed more produced–in–Ghana rice and stop depending on imported brands of the commodity.
“I’m
throwing my support behind the campaign,” the former President said
when officials of the Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA)
consortium on rice paid a courtesy call on him to present to him various
Ghana rice brands.
AGRA,
the Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB), Hopeline Institute and a
number of other organisations constitute the consortium which has been
working for years to improve the rice value chain in Ghana.
It
would be recalled images of unsold Ghana rice in the northern part of
the country went viral on social media recently sparking a campaign for
increased consumption of Ghana rice.
The former president says it’s about time that campaign went international.
“Let’s
take advantage of the year of return to promote Ghana Rice to the
international community; the Year of Return aims to continue the mission
of bridging the distance between Africans and the diasporas,” he noted.
President
of GRIB, Nana Adjei Ayeh expressed gratitude to the former President
for his support and assured him they will take the campaign to the
international community.
Operations
Officer for Hopeline Institute, Ebow Graham, noted increased support
for the Ghana rice sector will go a long way to help create jobs for the
unemployed youth of the country
