CARP Ghana launches three-year project to strengthen rice sector
Through the new program, CARP Ghana plans to collaborate with farmers’ groups, rice processors, government institutions, and development partners to address challenges that have long limited the sector’s growth.
GHANA – Ghana’s Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP Ghana) has launched a comprehensive three-year project to boost the competitiveness and resilience of the country’s rice sector by improving market systems, strengthening institutional coordination, and increasing private‑sector engagement.
The project, titled “Anchoring CARP Ghana as the National Platform for Rice Sector Competitiveness,” seeks to position the organization as the central coordinating body for stakeholders across the rice value chain while promoting inclusive growth and sustainable investment.
Announced in late March 2026 during an inception workshop in Tamale, the initiative aims to strengthen market systems, improve coordination among stakeholders, and encourage private-sector involvement to make local rice more competitive with imports.
Funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project targets major rice-producing regions like the Northern, Upper East, and Volta regions, addressing Ghana’s rice self-sufficiency gap, currently around 51%.
The program will directly benefit 25,300 stakeholders, including 150 CARP member organizations such as processors, traders, millers, and service providers, alongside 150 small and medium-sized enterprises in the rice value chain.
It prioritizes support for 20,000 smallholder farmers by linking them to structured markets and providing targeted aid to 5,000 women and youth entrepreneurs via inclusive business models.
Indirectly, one million consumers stand to gain from better product quality, improved branding, and lower prices, fostering sustainable growth in a sector vital to food security and rural livelihoods.
CARP Ghana, established in 2022 as the national arm of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory, adopts a market systems development approach over direct handouts.
This includes building a private-sector-led platform for inclusive growth, institutionalizing policy dialogues among government, farmers, and businesses, and creating a market intelligence system to support smarter investments.
National Coordinator Habibu Mohammed Abdulai emphasized aligning with regional strategies, such as the ECOWAS rice framework, to amplify advocacy and coordination.
Market Systems Specialist Victor Nantari highlighted efforts to strengthen business-to-business links and financial sustainability for long-term transformation.
This launch comes amid Ghana’s push for rice self-sufficiency under the revised National Rice Development Strategy, amid challenges like low yields and import dependency.
Stakeholders, including Dr Charles Kwowe Nyaaba from regional platforms and FarmerTribe’s Ms Sepenica Darko, praised the project for tackling underserved areas and enhancing profitability for millers and farmers.
Effective execution could significantly lift smallholder incomes and position Ghana as a regional rice hub.
By the end of the three-year program, CARP Ghana expects to see measurable improvements in rice yields, milling efficiency, and market access for local producers.
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