– Calls for Government Support
Wobill Technologies, an agritech company based in Adansi Asarekrom in the Ashanti Region, is transforming rice farming practices by providing innovative multi-stage rice threshers and comprehensive threshing services.
With a mission to empower smallholder farmers, the company’s advanced machinery is designed to reduce post-harvest losses, boost productivity, and improve food security.
However, despite their groundbreaking efforts, Wobil Technologies faces significant financial challenges which has compelled them to call for support from the government and NGOs to subsidize the cost of threshing services for struggling farmers.
Speaking to the High Street Journal, Mr. John Wobill, founder and CEO of Wobil Technologies, revealed that the company has successfully threshed 1,327 bags of rice this year, working for just 53 days out of the farming season’s 76-day window. While their services were expected to generate GH₵65,493, they could only collect GH₵46,000, leaving over GH₵19,000 in unpaid debts.
He noted that many farmers face financial constraints due to the seasonal nature of rice farming, and Wobil Technologies has been burdened with unpaid balances despite delivering high-quality services.
Wobil Technologies’ multi-stage rice threshers use state-of-the-art technology to separate rice grains from straw, significantly reducing post-harvest losses that often cripple farmers in rural communities.
Research shows that Ghanaian rice farmers in places like Adansi Asarekrom can lose an average of 46.09% of their harvest using manual threshing methods. The company’s machinery not only improves processing efficiency but also helps farmers increase their income and secure their livelihoods.
Despite these achievements, Wobil Technologies faces numerous operational hurdles. Mr. Wobill expressed the urgent need for land to expand their manufacturing capabilities and build more thrashers.
He also pointed out that during competitions, judges expect them to fund the company’s growth entirely from their own pockets, an expectation that is unrealistic given the high cost of building and operating agricultural machinery.
Rice production in Ghana remains a seasonal activity, with farmers working for only a few months each year. This year, Wobill Technologies worked for just 53 days, processing an average of 3,500 kg of rice daily. The limited working period presents a significant challenge for the company’s financial sustainability, prompting them to urge the government to provide financial support and mechanized equipment to rice farmers to improve yields.
In addition to financial aid, Mr. Wobil emphasized the need for proper farmer training and essential personal protective equipment (PPE) such as Wellington boots.
He stressed that these interventions are critical in ensuring that farmers adopt modern farming techniques that will further increase rice production and reduce losses, contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 (No Poverty and Zero Hunger).
