Rural women in Volta, Oti seek support to compete with imported rice

The Vice Chairperson of the Gamesu Women Rice Farmers Association and a member of Volta and Oti Women in Agriculture (VOWAN), Saraphine Obrotey, has called for improved access to land, affordable credit, agricultural inputs and modern farming support for rural women engaged in rice production in the Volta and Oti regions. She has also called for measures to reduce the challenges posed by imported rice to local producers, stressing the need to strengthen the competitiveness of locally produced rice and improve the livelihoods of women farmers. Speaking on the topic “Rice Production by Women in the Volta and Oti Regions of Ghana,” under the theme “A Global Call to Support Women in Rural Areas,” Madam Obrotey highlighted the contributions of rural women to agriculture and the need for stronger institutional support to improve their productivity and incomes.

“Women play a critical role throughout the rice value chain, from planting and weeding to harvesting, processing and marketing, but continue to face challenges that limit their productivity and contribution to food security”, she said. Access to Land and Finance Madam Obrotey identified access to land as one of the major challenges confronting women in rice production. She called for measures to ensure that women farmers have fair opportunities to access and use land for agricultural activities. She also stressed the importance of affordable credit and access to quality seeds, fertilisers and other essential farming inputs. She noted that inadequate access to these resources could prevent women farmers from expanding their operations, adopting improved farming methods and increasing production. She expressed hope that the Women’s Bank would help address some of the financial challenges facing women farmers by improving…