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Cabinet Sub-Committee to discuss
Aveyime Rice Project
Accra, Feb. 1, GNA - Cabinet has referred proposals and
recommendations of two firms that evaluated the Aveyime Rice
Project to its Sub-Committee for study and advice.
The two firms, Messrs Integrated Rice Company Limited and
Messrs Prairie Texas Inc were among six that submitted
proposals for the reactivation of the Project on October 26
2006, the closing date for the submission of proposals.
Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture, was
apprising Parliament on efforts to reactivate the Aveyime
Rice Project, which was stopped about five years ago.
Mr Charles Hodogbey, NDC-North Tongu, had asked when the
Project would be reactivated in the wake of the
deteriorating condition of equipment and facilities at the
Project site.
The Aveyime Rice Project covers an area of about 1,286
hectares and has not gone into full production since its
establishment.
Mr Debrah said four rice brokers had been milling paddy at
the facility under the supervision of an Interim Management
Committee that was put in place in 2001.
He said the Ministry started a programme in May 2005 to
identify a strategic investor to partner the Government to
bring the mill into full operation and had consequently
received technical and financial proposals from Valuers for
consideration so as to get the true value of assets before
they would be opened up to strategic partners.
He said following a valuation of the proposals by the
Ministerial Tender Committee, contracts were awarded for the
valuation of farmlands in December 2005, adding that the
valuations were completed and a report sent to the Ministry
by the end of May 2006.
In September 2006, the Ministerial Tender Committee invited
firms to submit their technical and financial proposals for
consideration.
Mr Debrah said the proposals included the running of the
rice mill with the Government of Ghana retaining 51 per cent
equity share; cultivation of rice on the available land
without Government involvement and the development of an
out-grower scheme for local rice farmers.
GNA
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