The Bureau of Integrated Rural Development [BIRD] under the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources [CANR] of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology [KNUST], Kumasi has presented study findings on local raw material sourcing [LRMS] initiative to Guinness Ghana and its stakeholders at the LRMS Report Launch in Accra on October 25, 2023. During the presentation, Dr. Ebenezer Owusu-Addo, the Director of BIRD-KNUST, explained the different components of the initiative using a PowerPoint presentation. The LRMS initiative aims to produce and source sorghum and maize products as a substitute for imported products to brew minerals and beverages in Ghana, which is of great significance to the beneficiary smallholder farmers. The stakeholders present included the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority, and others. During the event, Mr. Frank Addo, the Board Chair of Guinness Ghana, announced that the company has commissioned the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute [SARI] of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research [CSIR] to develop new hybrid sorghum and maize seeds. This is part of their plan to increase the sourcing of sorghum and maize products from farmers. The initiative aims to improve the lives of farmers and enhance their capacity to grow crops more effectively. During a presentation on the progress of the LRMS initiative, Mr. Stephen Ghansah, the market manager of Guinness Ghana, reported that they have sourced 20,000 metric tons of sorghum so far and intend to achieve up to 45,000 metric tons in 2028. The initiative has also supplied 3,500 metric tons of 50-kg bags of fertilizers and 60 metric tons of hybrid sorghum seeds to beneficiary farmers in the past decade. During the function, there was a plenary section where the panel discussed the current status of the initiative and what was planned for the future. Additionally, the Director of the Bureau interacted with the media after the LRMS report was launched. You can watch a video of the media interactions at this link