Value chain interventions for satisfying urban high-quality rice demand in the Ashanti region of Ghana : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Agribusiness, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu Campus, New Zealand

Abstract

Rice has become a staple food in most countries including Ghana where consumption has increased by more than 100% in the past 15 years due to urbanization and population growth, especially in urban areas. Urban consumers, who account for about 76% of the total rice consumption in Ghana, prefer imported rice to local rice due to its intrinsic (white and long grain, taste and aroma) and extrinsic (safety) attributes. The local rice is of low-quality and uncompetitive due to an underdeveloped value chain. This study therefore aimed to understand the rice value chain from input provision to farmers through retailing to the consumers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and identify how the local rice value chain can be improved through interventions to deliver high-quality rice for urban consumers and compete against imported rice. Face to face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data. This was complemented by field observations and document collation. The data were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Four key areas in the value chain were identified as barriers to delivering high-quality rice. They include; input supply (farmers' inability to get access to high-quality seeds), production and postharvest activities (harvesting and threshing constraints), processing (use of low standard or inappropriate machines), and retailing (inadequate packaging). Interventions to improve the local rice value chain require collective efforts of the chain actors, government in general, and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in particular. The interventions include the adoption of good agricultural practices (GAPs) by farmers, use of appropriate machinery and storage by processors and government supporting them in the form of joint ventures to ensure the local production and distribution of high-quality rice. Also, regular education and training for farmers by MoFA can help them to improve the quality and yield of local rice through adoption of better technology. This study has contributed to the understanding of rice value chain and proposed intervention strategies which, if implemented, will improve the local rice value chain and deliver higher-quality local rice for urban consumers and compete against imported rice.