The Avatime Traditional Council is set to launch AMUFEST 2026, the annual Mountain Brown Rice Festival of the Avatime people. The launch event is taking place today, at The Palms by Eagle, located at the Holiday Inn in Accra.

The 2026 edition is being hosted by the community of Dzokpe under the theme “Sustaining Avatime as a Climate-Resilient Community Through Mountain Brown Rice Production, Culture, and Ecotourism.” The festival celebrates the cultivation of organic mountain brown rice, known locally as ‘amu‘, while promoting cultural heritage, community unity and eco-tourism in the Avatime Traditional Area of the Ho West District in Ghana’s Volta Region.

Paramount Chief of Avatime, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, and the host chief, Okusie Kpornuglo Avu Mako X of Dzokpe, are central figures in the organisation of this year’s celebrations. The launch is being held in memory of Pharm. Harrison Kofi Abutiate. Sponsors supporting the event include Twisco, Onga, Cowbell and the McDan Group.

About AMUFEST

AMUFEST is organised under the auspices of the Avatime Traditional Council, which comprises chiefs, queen mothers and elders from the seven Avatime communities: Vane, Amedzofe, Gbadzeme, Biakpa, Dzokpe, Dzogbefeme and Fume. The festival rotates annually among these communities and typically features a week of activities culminating in a grand durbar of chiefs, cultural performances, traditional drumming and dancing, and exhibitions of local produce, particularly dishes prepared with mountain brown rice.

Mountain brown rice holds both nutritional and cultural significance for the Avatime people. The crop is valued for its resilience and has been promoted as a means of supporting local agriculture, generating income and reinforcing communal identity.

Recent editions of the festival have placed increasing emphasis on climate resilience, environmental stewardship and the development of eco-tourism attractions in the area. These include sites such as Mountain Gemi, the Ote Waterfalls, canopy walkways, ancestral caves and other natural and cultural landmarks.

The Accra launch serves as a platform to raise awareness among the broader public, diaspora communities and potential partners about the festival and the developmental aspirations of Avatime. Previous launches have similarly been held in the capital to engage stakeholders, showcase cultural performances and highlight the economic potential of brown rice production and tourism.

Organisers have positioned AMUFEST as more than a cultural celebration. It functions as a vehicle for community development, encouraging investment in agriculture, infrastructure and tourism while fostering unity among the Avatime communities. Traditional leaders have previously used the festival platform to address challenges such as chieftaincy disputes and to call for collective action toward sustainable progress.

The choice of Dzokpe as the 2026 host community continues the rotational system that allows each of the seven towns to take a turn in organising the main celebrations. This arrangement helps distribute the responsibilities and benefits of the festival while reinforcing ties across the traditional area.

Attendees at the Accra launch are invited to participate in the upcoming festivities in Dzokpe. Contact persons for RSVP and further information are listed as Richard Buthelezi Nyarko and Jonathan Dotse. The main festival activities in Avatime are expected to follow in the coming weeks, consistent with the traditional timing of the harvest celebration.

AMUFEST forms part of a wider effort by Avatime leaders to preserve cultural practices, support local farmers and position the traditional area as a destination for cultural and eco-tourism. The emphasis on climate resilience reflects growing awareness of environmental challenges facing agricultural communities in the Volta Region and the need for adaptive strategies.

As the 2026 edition moves from its Accra launch into the host community of Dzokpe, attention will turn to the full programme of cultural displays, agricultural exhibitions and community gatherings that define the festival. The event continues a tradition that links the Avatime people’s agricultural heritage with contemporary goals of unity, sustainability and economic opportunity.

The official launching at The Palms by Eagle will mark the formal start of preparations and public engagement for AMUFEST 2026. Traditional authorities, residents and supporters are expected to build on the momentum generated in Accra as the celebrations shift to the Volta Region.