The Weta Rice Farmers Association in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region has officially launched, aiming to modernize and scale rice production in one of Ghana’s most productive agricultural hubs. The enclave currently produces a substantial 142,450 metric tons of milled rice annually, a feat that requires a massive localized investment of approximately 9.5 million Ghana cedis in fertilizers alone.
The Push for Infrastructure and Mechanization
The core objective of the association is the revitalization of a decades-old, abandoned irrigation project. Restoring this infrastructure would allow for year-round farming, drastically increasing the current output. Beyond water management, the association’s patron, Sampson Klutse Gamanya, highlighted a critical “mechanization gap,” calling for:
- Harvesting & Processing: Combined harvesters, dryers, and modern rice mills to reduce high post-harvest losses.
- Industrialization: The establishment of starch processing plants to add value to the raw crop.
- Market Access: A dedicated local rice market to ensure farmers can sell their produce at fair prices without relying on fragmented middle-man structures.
Strategic Partnerships and Training
Ing. Dr. Bright Atsu Sogbe and industry experts like Farmer Anthony Kofitu Morrison have emphasized that the association’s success depends on technical integration.
A key recommendation includes transforming Ohawu Agriculture College into a research powerhouse for developing high-yield, climate-resilient rice seeds. This academic-to-farm pipeline is seen as essential for making Ghanaian rice competitive against cheaper imports.
Politically, the initiative has gained attention, with assurances from local leadership that infrastructure projects like the Weta irrigation scheme will be prioritized in national development budgets.
By organizing into a formal association, these farmers are now better positioned to negotiate for the equipment and policy support needed to transition from subsistence-level yields to industrial-scale agribusiness.
