Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Victor Smith, has paid a working visit to a Black-owned rice milling facility in Arkansas as part of efforts to deepen U.S.–Ghana agribusiness partnerships and promote investment in Ghana’s agricultural value chain.

The visit formed part of the Embassy’s broader strategy to engage African-American agribusiness leaders and entrepreneurs interested in expanding trade and investment with Ghana.

Ambassador Smith commended the rice mill operators for their innovation, resilience, and contribution to food security in the U.S., noting that their success story could inspire mutually beneficial collaborations in Ghana’s growing rice production sector.

“Ghana is working to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production through investment in mechanisation, irrigation, and processing.

Partnerships like these can bring new technologies, capital, and expertise to strengthen Ghana’s agricultural sector,” Ambassador Smith said.

He highlighted Ghana’s commitment under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to modernise agriculture through initiatives such as the Feed Ghana Programme, Grow24 Framework, and incentives for agribusiness investors under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy.

During the visit, discussions focused on opportunities for joint ventures, knowledge exchange, and export partnerships, particularly in rice milling, packaging, and value addition.

The Arkansas-based company expressed interest in exploring collaboration with Ghanaian rice producers and agro-processors to support domestic production and regional exports.

Ambassador Smith assured the business community that Ghana offers a stable political environment, favourable investment laws, and strong government support for agribusiness innovation.

The visit marks another step in Ghana’s drive to position itself as a key agribusiness destination in Africa and to build stronger economic bridges between Ghana and the African-American business community.