By: Kris Delali Asare | Voltaonlinegh.com |

Some 300 women in rice farming at Akpafu Odomi in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region have received support from some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to enhance their rice production.

This was disclosed during a durbar at the E.P Park in Akpafu Domi to celebrate 2018 World Rural Women Day. The day which falls on October 15 every year recognises the immense contributions and multiple roles of rural women to the development of communities across the world.

This year’s celebration, the first of its kind at Akpafu Odomi organised by the Development Action Association (DAA) with support from the German Association of Rural Women, targeted rural women in rice farming with the theme, “Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Agriculture for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Rural Women in Key Decision Making”.

The ceremony started with a float on the principal streets of Hohoe with placards having inscriptions such as: “Women rice farmers are suffering, Rural farmers are nation builders, Rural women’s voice matter” among others.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Grace Quaye, the National President of DAA outlined some challenges rural women farmers face in rice farming and underscored the need to encourage them to do more.

She said her outfit had been liaising with NGOs and various communities or associations in the country to support such women.

A beneficiary of this support, Mrs. Janet Adade who is the President of Madomise Women Farmers Association, Akpafu-based farming group of 300 members appreciated the advocacy programme and the introduction of a new milling process which had reduced the level of stone contents in local rice.

She urged Ghanaians to continue to patronise local rice and explained the dependence on human labour due to lack of machines accounts for the high price of the product.

The Hohoe Municipal Agric Officer, Mr. George Asare speaking on issues of a change in fertilizer subsidy, blamed it on non-payment by beneficiaries which had caused enough debt for the assembly and the government.

Present at the event were Mr. Leonard Heh, the representative of the Municipal Chief Executive, Teddy Ofori, traditional leaders from surrounding areas, assembly members among others.

Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com