President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he has given a directive to all state institutions, including the Jubilee House, to only buy locally-produced rice.

“I’ve directed all the state institutions and government agencies to use Ghanaian produce, Ghanaian rice”, the President told journalists at the Jubilee House on Friday, 13 December 2019 during his engagement with the media, adding: “I have started in my home at Nima, and I’ve started here [Presidency]”.

“Let us tell our wives, cousins, whoever is responsible for your feeding to eat Ghanaian rice,” the President urged his interlocutors.

At the 35th National Farmers’ Day celebration held in the Volta Region on 6 December 2019, Mr Akufo-Addo said: “The success of the government’s efforts in ensuring self-sufficiency in rice production depends largely on the level of consumption of local rice”, insisting: “We must eat what we grow to motivate our farmers and support the development of the local food industry.”

“Rebecca, my beautiful wife, our First Lady”, the President revealed: “Insists that we eat local rice at home and has made sure of this”.

“I call on all Ghanaians to follow my example and eat local rice”, the President encouraged.

He revealed that the government has imported milling equipment from China and Brazil which are due in the country by the middle of 2020 as part of moves to provide “appreciable relief to farmers and boost the grain industry.”

The President noted: “Let me assure all present that government will continue to prioritise agriculture to make the sector one of the most vibrant in the country”.