Thai Companies in the Thailand rice value chain numbering about 10 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) in relation to the Ghana-Thailand Rice Project.

The companies, which cut across the rice value chain, include fertilizer producers, dealers of rice milling equipment, and seedling research centres, among others, are Smart Engineering Consultants Company, FairAgora Asia Ltd., New Kaset Thai Company Ltd., TAMCO Trading International Co. Ltd., Glofert Growing Growth, and Hypro Foods World Co Ltd. The rest are Aneksin Motor Partnership Limited, TNP Billionaire Group, SQI Group Company Limited Biomatlink Company Limited and Deler International Rice Machinery Co.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Asian African Consortium (AAC), Mrs Adelaide Araba Siaw Agyepong, initialed for the JGC while the various Chief Executives Officers (CEOs) signed for their companies.

Present at the signing ceremony were the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, Yaw Addo Frimpong, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mrs Florence B. Akonor, Honorary Consul of Ghana in Thailand, Dr Sicha Singsomboon, and the Founder and Executive Chairman of the JGC, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong.

The business conference, which brought together captains of Thailand rice industry and several companies and a Ghanaian delegation, led by the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), was on the theme: “Ghana-Thailand Business Forum; Partnership for Sustainable Rice Production in Ghana.”

Members of the Ghanaian Delegation

Members of the Ghana delegation included experts and researchers in various fields drawn from the University of Ghana, Legon, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crop Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), the Ghana Rice Farmers Association, the Competitive African Rice Platform, traditional rulers, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) and private entrepreneurs with the focus on rice, fertilizer, maize, cassava and poultry as well as executives of the JGC.

The CEO of AAC, Mrs Adelaide Araba Siaw Agyepong, commended the Thai companies for their interest to work with the group for the success of the Ghana-integrated rice project. “Once we have signed MoUs with you (referring to the Thailand rice companies), it means that we have reposed trust and confidence in your companies, so we will need your full support,” she urged.

According to Mrs Adelaide Araba Siaw Agyepong, the partnership forged with them will mutually benefit both parties adding that “we work with speed and will be doing the same with your companies.”

In this regard, the CEO of AAC asked the Thai companies to travel to Ghana and study the country. “A team will be working with you (the Thai rice companies) to ensure that we begin the implementation of the rice project in Ghana immediately,” she said.

Ghana’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mrs Florence B. Akonor, allayed the fears of the Thai people that the partnership will see them at the losing end. “The partnership we are forging with your companies is a win-win situation for Ghana and Thailand. Ghana is a safe place to invest, and your investments will be protected,” she asserted.