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Bekwai (Ash), Nov. 20, GNA – A joint team from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and the Ghana Standards Authority has conducted a follow-up inspection of rice processors in the Bekwai Municipality.

These processors are beneficiaries of the Improving Technology and Quality Control System for Higher Value Addition in the Post-harvest Processes of the Rice Value Chain (ITEQ) Project, an initiative funded by the Government of Japan.

The visit was aimed at assessing how well beneficiaries had applied the training they received and how effectively they were using the equipment supplied under the project.

The ITEQ Project, implemented in selected municipalities including Bekwai and Tepa, focuses on upgrading the rice value chain through technology adoption, improved quality control, and enhanced business practices.

Mr. Carl Makafui Acolatse, Project Coordinator, explained that beneficiaries had undergone comprehensive training facilitated by the FDA, with support from MoFA and UNIDO.

The training covered modern rice processing, storage practices, hygiene, packaging, and market-oriented skills designed to help actors across the value chain scale up their operations.

He noted that the ITEQ model seeks to empower farmers, millers, and retailers by equipping them with the necessary tools to modernize their operations, improve product quality, and adopt environmentally friendly processing methods.

“The inspection helps us determine the extent to which millers have improved their practices and how the new technology is enhancing their output,” he added.

Two beneficiaries in the Bekwai Municipality received a rice destoner and a briquette-making machine.

While the destoner ensures that rice is clean and free of stones, the briquette machine converts rice husks into fuel, reducing operational costs and promoting sustainability.

Mr. Emmanuel Mensah, Bekwai Municipal Director of Agriculture, said the municipality currently has 1,115 rice farmers cultivating a total of 660.5 hectares.

He noted that the ITEQ Project had significantly boosted the capacity of local millers and improved the quality of local rice.

However, he outlined persistent challenges, including difficulties in land preparation, labour shortages, high input costs, limited access to threshers, and pest and disease pressures that constrained yields.

During the inspection, Dr. Roseline Asi Amoah, Chief Scientific Officer at the Ghana Standards Authority, highlighted the importance of soil testing to detect metallic contaminants such as mercury and lead, substances often associated with illegal mining (galamsey).

She warned that contaminated soils compromised rice quality and posed public health risks.

She also noted that microbiological contamination could lead to chalky, whitish rice with a powdery texture, emphasising the need for farmers to use clean, high-quality planting materials to reduce such defects.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Jephthah Kwame Osei, owner of the Sankofa Rice Processing Facility, said the equipment and training had significantly improved his production efficiency and product quality.

He also disclosed that he had obtained FDA approval for two products, including the Yen Sankofa Cereals Legume Mix, following technical support from UNIDO.

He added that enhanced operations had enabled him to employ more young people in the municipality.

As a gesture of appreciation, Mr. Osei presented a citation to UNIDO in recognition of the organisation’s support for his business growth.

Source : msn