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Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e

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The Republic of GHANA, a sm<strong>al</strong>l (240,000 km 2 ), tropic<strong>al</strong> West African country bordering<br />

<strong>the</strong> Gulf of Guinea in <strong>the</strong> Atlantic Ocean, is predominantly agricultur<strong>al</strong> (40% of GDP), with 60%<br />

of <strong>the</strong> work<strong>for</strong>ce employed in agriculture on wide savannas in <strong>the</strong> north and cleared rain<strong>for</strong>est<br />

in <strong>the</strong> south. De<strong>for</strong>estation and desertification are of increasing concern. The population in<br />

1999 was 19.7 million.<br />

Gener<strong>al</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />

• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 1,910<br />

• Intern<strong>al</strong> renewable water re<strong>source</strong>s: 30.3<br />

km 3<br />

• Incoming water flow: 22.9 km 3<br />

• Main food consumed: roots and tubers,<br />

maize, oil and fat, fruits, mill<strong>et</strong> and sorghum<br />

• <strong>Rice</strong> consumption, 1999: 8.8 kg milled rice<br />

per person per year<br />

Production constraints<br />

The major constraints to sustainable rice<br />

production in Ghana are<br />

• Drought in upland areas and drought and<br />

flash flood in rainfed lowland (or inland<br />

swamp) areas because of irregular wea<strong>the</strong>r<br />

• Lack of suitable vari<strong>et</strong>ies <strong>for</strong> irrigated and<br />

rainfed lowland (or swamp) areas<br />

• Inadequate and irregular input supplies:<br />

seeds, fertilizer, and credit<br />

• Lack of sm<strong>al</strong>l farm equipment, especi<strong>al</strong>ly<br />

<strong>for</strong> postharvest operations<br />

• Lack of effective farmers’ organizations and<br />

cooperatives<br />

• Poor maintenance of irrigation facilities<br />

• Lack of well-defined rice policies<br />

• Poor road n<strong>et</strong>works and mark<strong>et</strong>ing systems<br />

• Labor shortage because of comp<strong>et</strong>ition from<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r crops<br />

• Weak research and extension support<br />

Production season<br />

Planting Harvesting<br />

Main season May-Jun Oct-Nov<br />

Off-season Jan-Feb May-Jun<br />

164 <strong>Rice</strong> <strong>al</strong>manac

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