By Charles S. Amponsah
Ghana’s leading agricultural researchers are deepening work to develop new rice varieties that can thrive in drier, non-flooded soils, a move aimed at cutting methane emissions and helping farmers cope with worsening climate shocks.
Dr. Kwaku Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, a Research Scientist at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) and principal investigator for the Agroecology and Circular Economy for Ecosystem Services (ACE4ES) project, said ongoing research is building on earlier breakthroughs in upland rice to ensure Ghana’s rice can grow successfully on normal upland locations.
“On upland rice, there’s been a lot of work the CSIR-Crop Research Institute has done to ensure that we have rice that can grow on normal upland locations,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of a workshop to train selected journalists in Accra.
The event, themed “Strategic Media Programming for Agroecology, Circular Economy, and Climate Change Communication,” was organised by CSIR-CRI and the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana under the ACE4ES project, with support from the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
Cutting methane, sustaining yields
Rice farming is one of the world’s leading sources of methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Traditional paddy fields release methane when organic matter decomposes in flooded, oxygen-poor conditions, emissions that escape into the atmosphere through the rice plants and water surface.
Researchers say upland rice, grown on non-flooded, better-drained soils, offers a viable solution. It requires less standing water, cuts methane output significantly, and reduces the pressure on freshwater systems increasingly strained by erratic rainfall.
“With the climate shocks we often experience, sometimes the adequacy, quantity, and frequency of water cannot be predicted,” Dr. Asante explained.
To overcome these challenges, he said, “our rice team decided to develop varieties that can grow without waterlogged conditions. This will help farmers withstand the impacts of climate change and also reduce methane emissions.”
Local innovation, global relevance
Since 2010, the CSIR-Crops Research Institute has developed more than 30 rice varieties, including nine released in 2022 alone. Among these are three upland rice types—CRI-KAFACI upland, CRI-Cho upland, and CRI-Fosu upland—which mature in about 100 days, are aromatic, and have good grain quality and consumer appeal.
Yet Ghana continues to depend heavily on imported rice. According to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), a World Bank trade database, Ghana imported rice worth about US$128.6 million in 2024. Most of it came from India (US$55.9 million), Thailand (US$43.9 million), and China (US$17.5 million).
Experts say reducing this import bill will require not only better seeds but also stronger investments in irrigation, milling, and farmer training.
Towards a climate-smart rice future
The ACE4ES project aims to integrate agroecology and circular economy principles into African farming systems, improving yields while protecting ecosystems.
Dr. Asante believes Ghana’s new upland rice varieties could play a key role in this transformation.
“By reducing methane and adapting to unpredictable rainfall, we can protect farmers’ livelihoods and the environment at the same time.”
