Happy New Year, everyone! Or, as we say in the world of Ghanaian rice farming: ‘Welcome to the same old challenges, 😁 but with a new calendar!’ It’s harvest time, and rice farmers in Ghana are facing their annual reality show titled ‘Survivor: The Rice Fields.’ The reality for many rice farmers.

Now, let’s talk about the starring role of our show: ‘Import Dependency.’ Ghanaian rice is like that talented actor who never gets the lead role because the perceived flashy foreign rice always gets the spotlight. The local rice is waiting backstage, whispering, ‘I’m just as good, maybe even better…’ But alas, the imported rice, with its fancy packaging and Hollywood-level marketing, keeps stealing the show. Even though the local rice brands are catching up fast!

Infrastructure, or should I say, the lack of it, plays a critical role in continued development. The road network, storage facilities, and all that support efficient logistics are very pertinent.

The local rice is waiting backstage, whispering, ‘I’m just as good, maybe even better…’

Let’s not forget the climactic weather episodes. Too much rain, or not enough – it’s like Mother Nature is undecided about her script. Farmers are out there, trying to predict the weather better than the meteorologists, because their livelihood depends on it.

But hey, it’s a new year, and with it comes new hope! Cropslist (https://cropslist.com) believes it’s the season where Ghanaian rice finally gets its big break. Becomes the star of the market. Our efforts as a collective will definitely improve the demand for local rice.

It’s a new year, and with it comes new hope!

So, here’s to a year of overcoming challenges, and may the Ghana rice market thrive – because let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Especially where we know our potential 😁 it’s a case of action. Hats off to all in the local rice value chain! Here’s to a great year 2024.