The Western Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah is urging Ghanaians to invest in the production of local substitutes to boost local economies.
Addressing staff of Wassa East District Assembly, he encouraged staff to grab the opportunity of starting small farms which will feed into the national economy.
This, he mentioned will also earn them extra income to complete their salaries.
Mr. Darko Mensah’s comment comes on the back of the government’s ban on commodities such as poultry, vegetable oils, toothpicks, pasta, bottled water, fruit juice, rice, and other nonessential goods in the country starting in May this year.
” Last year, the President also banned some products from coming into Ghana in May. So those of you who haven’t started planting your rice, you better start planting. By May, no import of rice into this country.
And everybody knows we have a huge potential for rice cultivation.
Ghana imports over 500 million dollars worth of rice a year. Come together with your colleagues and do something as government workers, and I believe that you will see the difference,” He said.
These measures besides strengthening the Ghana cedi also boost local production thereby creating jobs.
It is estimated that Ghana’s annual rice import stands at 500 million dollars.
He, however, was happy some youth are taking advantage of the various interventions in the agriculture value chain adding that it is encouraging and must be emulated.
