CONCEPT NOTESINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE SEED RICE QUALITY
Dr. Kenneth Nyalemegbe(University of Ghana – Agric Res.Centre,Kpong)Mr.Albert Feefi Swatson(Agronomist, GIDA)
OUTLINE
IntroductionJustification of projectPotential intervention zones and target groupsMain objectivesComponents, Outputs and ActivitiesCosts and FinancingImplementation strategyProject Organization and ManagementMonitoring and EvaluationRisks
Introduction
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is the lead agency that directs the national agricultural policy. To carry out its function, plans and programmes are coordinated through policy and strategy frameworks.Policystrategies over the years, as captured in FADEP I,GPRS I&II, METASIP, MTADPand other MOFA policy documents, have sought to promote rice production to address food security and poverty reduction.Amongothers, varietal improvement of rice and seed production andutilisationare to be pursued vigorously. Seed rice infrastructural development is key to achieving the above objective.
Justification
Use of uncertified and adulterated seedricemakes it difficult for the farmer to have uniform cropstand in the short term and to establish acceptable brand names in the long term.In spite of the laudable initiatives in the various rice development strategies, the use of poor quality seed makes it difficult to achieve the above strategic objectives, e.g.Locallyproduced rice becomes uncompetitive andunacceptableto theconsumerFarmersdo not usesuitable rice varieties for the variousrice- growing ecologiesStakeholdersin the rice value chain are unable to playtheirroles effectively
Potential Intervention Zones and Target Groups
Rainfedlowland ecology is dominant, covering over 78% of total area cropped to rice.Irrigated ecology covers 16% of total rice area.Uplandecologycovers 6%.Therainfedlowland ecology is the most profitable for rice production, provided water management and cultural practices are improved.Ghana’sstrategy conforms to CARD’s goal which targetstherainfedlowlandecology for increased riceproduction.Currentseed requirement is thus greater forthisecology than the two other ecologies and thus requires greater infrastructural development for seed quality improvement.
Main Objectives of the Project
GlobalObjectiveTo double local rice production by the year 2018 so as to contribute to food security and increased income in rice production.SpecificObjectivesDomesticproduction of rice will be increased by 10% annuallyusinggender sensitive and productivity enhancing innovationsforsmallholders, commercial producers and entrepreneurs alongthevalue chain. In order to achieve this, there would be needforgood quality seed.Theconsumption of local rice will be promoted throughtheprovisionof quality seed of varieties that are acceptable to consumers.
Components of the Project
The project will comprise two components as follows:1.Provision of Seed Rice Drying and Cleaning Facilities2. Provision of Cold Storage Facilities
Project Components, Outputs and Activities
Cost and Financing
Implementation Strategy of Project
1.Settingup ofProject Implementation Committee2. Initial inspection of existing facilities3.Assessmentof requirements forrehabilitation and upgradingof oldfacilities4. Acquisition of sites for construction of new facilities5. Assessment of requirements for new facility andbidding
Implementation Strategy of Project - cont.
The facilities would be managed by the District/Regional Directorsofthe Ministryof Food and Agriculture.Partners in the implementation of project should be identified, based on roles that they would play inactualizingthe plans.The potentialpartners, among others,include:The Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body (GRIB)Agricultural Development and Value Chain EnhancementProgramme(ADVANCE)Japan International Cooperation (JICA)
ProjectOrganizationand Management
The Ministry of Food andAgriculture (MOFA) wouldcoordinate the activities of the various stakeholders,throughRegional, Municipal and DistrictDirectors of Agriculture.Thiswouldbe in conjunction with theProject Implementation Committee.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring andEvaluationwould be undertakenbytheProject ImplementationCommittee andthe Municipal/DistrictAssemblies.Duringimplementation of the project, data, reports, physical checks and tracking will form thebasis for monitoring and evaluation.
Risks
Non availability of project fundsIssues with land tenureiii) Out-growerfarmers not accepting to grow recommended seed because of inadequate remuneration, and hence making the provided facilitiesunderutilized.iv)Farmers may choose to obtain seed from their previous crop and, therefore, notpatronizeseed from the central warehouse.
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