A new three-year initiative by the Competitive African Rice Platform (CARP) Ghana is set to transform the country’s rice industry by focusing on market-driven reforms, private sector growth, and stronger coordination across the value chain.
The project, titled “Anchoring CARP Ghana as the National Platform for Rice Sector Competitiveness,” is designed to move beyond traditional support models by promoting a market systems approach that encourages long-term investment and sustainability.
Funded by AGRA with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative will operate across Ghana’s major rice-producing regions, targeting over 25,000 direct beneficiaries. These include agribusinesses, processors, traders, and thousands of smallholder farmers, alongside women and youth entrepreneurs.
According to CARP’s Market Systems Specialist, Victor Nantari, the project will prioritise strengthening linkages between market actors, improving access to information, and facilitating structured engagement between government, private sector players, and farmer groups.
A key feature of the initiative is the development of a market intelligence system to guide investment decisions and enhance competitiveness, while also creating a platform for regular policy and business dialogue to address sector challenges.
National Coordinator Habibu Mohammed Abdulai noted that the project would reinforce CARP Ghana’s role as a central coordinating body, aligning national efforts with regional frameworks such as the ECOWAS rice development strategy.
Stakeholders at the project’s inception workshop in Tamale expressed optimism that the initiative would improve productivity, expand market access, and strengthen resilience within the rice sector.
With an estimated one million consumers expected to benefit indirectly through better quality and more affordable rice, the project signals a strategic shift toward building a more competitive and self-sustaining rice industry in Ghana.
