It has been the vision of the District Chief Executive of the Sekyere Kumawu District Hon.Samuel Addai Agyekum since assumption of office to promote the cultivation of local rice in the area and there by make the Sekyere enclave one of the leading producers of rice in the country.
This according to him would help create thousands of jobs and reduce drastically the phenomenon of rural urban drift
if the dream is actualized.
Hon.Addai Agyekum laid emphasis on this and enumerated some other benefits that comes with production and consumption of locally produced rice such as good health a boost for the local economy at a short ceremony to promote consumption of local rice at Kumawu,the district capital in the Ashanti region.
He however made a passionate appeal to the traditional authorities in the area to make land available to a number of investors who have expressed their preparedness to invest heavily in rice production in the district and beyond as he called on the people to position themselves to embrace the huge investment that is coming to the area when it takes off.
Meanwhile, companies such as Western Dedew and Ashanti Royal; producers of local rice have asked for a thousand acre land in the area for rice cultivation and eventually put up a processing factory in the area to meet the growing demand.
This they believe would create not less than a thousand direct employment to the youth.
The investors however called on government to create more enabling environment for local rice production to thrive since this would help reduce drastically the importation of rice which cost the nation not less than one billion dollars annually.
Source:Broadcastergh.com/Ayisah Foster
