The project is aimed at facilitating functionality and efficiency of innovation platforms and innovation research uptake in Ghana and other African countries. This aspect of the project is aimed at identifying drivers of traders and consumers’ rice preferences to help develop a marketing and promotional plan for locally produced rice in Ghana. Rice has become an important staple in Ghana and its consumption is estimated to far exceed local production. Hence the deficit is supplied through importation with an average annual import bill of US$ 450 million, which is a major concern for the government. Despite the low level of local rice production in Ghana, it is estimated that just about 20% of local rice is consumed in urban areas in particular due to consumer preference for imported brands. As a result, farmers have difficulty selling locally produced rice.

As an intervention to increase local rice production and consumption, the government of Ghana is undertaking rice upscaling programme with the goal of attaining self-sufficiency by 2018. To contribute to the success of this intervention, there was the need for detailed insights into the drivers of traders and consumer’s rice preferences to give policy advice on how to boost trading in local rice as well as its production, utilization and consumption to ensure increased income and food and nutrition security. Recognising the crucial role traders play in marketing and distribution of rice in the country, this study was undertaken to assess their level of involvement, preferred rice types as well as factors that influence their preferences. Similarly, an assessment was done on consumers’ preferred rice choices as well as factors that influence their preferences. The objectives of this study were to:

A. To identify traders and consumers’ preferred rice types in rural rice-producing areas and non-rice producing urban centres

B. Assess the drivers of traders and consumers’ rice preferences to get better insights into factors that influence the sale, purchase, utilization and consumption of rice (local and imported) in Ghana

C. To develop a marketing and promotional plan to stimulate the production, sale, purchase, utilization and consumption of locally-produced rice in Ghana.

Published as FARA Research Report 1 Volume 3 No: 3 (2018).