FDA prevents unhealthy rice from entering Ghana

Company News From Thursday, April 18, 2019

Source: citibusinessnews.com

2019-04-18

The Citi Business News checks with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) revealed that the Authority had received an alert regarding low quality rice imported from Myanmar into the Ghanaian market.

FDA officials quickly took action to prevent unsanitary rice from entering Ghana with the help of the Customs Division and other state agencies.

The unhealthy rice then wandered into the West African subregion until it entered Ivory Coast.

According to the BBC, the Ivorian authorities destroyed 18,000 tonnes that were rejected at the port of Tema because they were unfit for human consumption.

Although the FDA has not yet determined the brand name of the rice as well as its importers, the BBC has indicated that the shipment of rice from Myanmar was unhealthy and should not have been shipped to any country.

According to reports, rice has reportedly been denied entry into several ports in West Africa in recent weeks, including Lome, Conakry and Accra. Rice, however, found its way to Abidjan.

"We receive a lot of alerts. Normally, security agencies check this information and inform us, "Citi told Business News, during an interview with an FDA officer, who wishes to remain anonymous.

At the same time, the Ghanaian Ministry of Agriculture had already badured that plans were in place to reduce rice imports by at least 50 percent this year.

The ministry aims to improve the growth and consumption of local rice in Ghana.

Currently, Ghana imports $ 331 million worth of rice per year, a development stakeholder qualified as a concern.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture George Oduro has already ensured that measures such as the "Planting for Food and Employment" and the recently implemented Irrigation Land Management System would help reduce half the rice imports.