Following the reports of smuggling of paddy rice from the rice valleys in the Builsa South District to countries like Nigeria, authorities in the area have staged mechanisms to start monitoring issues at the Fumbisi market to clamp down on the suspected smugglers.
Even though Ghana has placed an embargo on the exportation of cereals and grains, the Agric minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyies Akoto during his working visit to the Upper East region expressed worry some individuals are smuggling paddy rice from the Fumbisi rice valleys to neighbouring countries.
But in an exclusive interview with A1 Radio on ‘Reporters Visit’, the Builsa South District Chief Executive, Daniel Kwame Gariba said there is indeed a mass rush for rice in the area hence the concern raised by the Agric Minister, the district assembly in the coming days will form a team whose responsibility would be to visit the Fumbisi market on periodic occasions to find out the real identity of the buyers and where they are buying the rice to.
“Our checks also show that there is a mass rush for rice, maize and cereals in general. That should also tell us that people are demanding for it. I can tell you that, within a short space of time, prices have been shooting up, but having heard that [smuggling of paddy rice], we are putting measures together to do some surveillance on market days. This is to find out who these people are and where they are actually coming from, to the market to buy.”
The Builsa South DCE, further stated government appointees together with the agencies in the region are working hard to bring an end to the smuggling of fertiliser.
Source:A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Bolgatanga|
