The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), have agreed to work out modalities to facilitate the standardization and registration of local rice.

Ghanaian consumers have often complained about the quality and packaging of the local rice on the market, although local rice millers have relatively improved to compete with imported brands.

The decision of the two agencies follows a meeting between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Rice Millers, Food and Beverages Association of Ghana, and some financial and trading institutions.

The Director of Corporate Communications of Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako told Citi News that fast-tracking the process will be in the interest of local rice farmers as well as others in the chain.

“The roles of these two [FDA and GSA] are not contradictory, they are rather complementary. What we need to do is to collaborate more so that the certification and the regulation can be done in the interest of farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, says it will work within its 30-day mandate to register local rice.

The Head of Food Registration at the FDA, Percy Adomako Agyekum said staff will do all it takes to ensure that registration is done without hindrance.

“FDA will apply all the urgency it needs to make sure that the product registration will go through without any hindrance,” he said.
The decision of the two institutions comes on the back of a campaign started by Citi FM’s CEO, Samuel Attah-Mensah, urging Ghanaians to consume locally grown rice.

The struggles of rice farmers have been captured by Citi News in various news reports.

Source:citinewsroom.com