The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG), Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, has left Accra for Manila, Philippines, to participate in the 2026 International World Rice Conference (IWRC).
The conference is scheduled for October 7 to 9, 2026, at the Dusit Thani Manila and is expected to bring together key stakeholders across the global rice value chain.
Participants will include rice producers, farmers, traders, importers, exporters, millers, shippers, policymakers, researchers and other industry players.
Mr Awingobit’s participation will be his third at the International World Rice Conference, having previously attended the 2024 edition in Manila and the 2025 conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
According to the IEAG, the conference is particularly relevant to Ghana’s trade and food-security interests because of the strategic role of rice in the country’s import and food supply chain.
The Association said the gathering would provide opportunities to access market intelligence, identify reliable sources of rice supply, explore new trading opportunities and establish direct relationships with international producers and suppliers.
The IEAG said Mr Awingobit’s previous participation in the conference had resulted in business opportunities for Ghanaian rice importers.
It said contacts established during the conferences had helped connect Ghanaian importers with rice farmers, producers and trading partners in the Philippines and Cambodia, while also creating opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to explore commercial relationships in those markets.
The Association said Mr Awingobit’s participation in the 2026 conference therefore formed part of its broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s international trade relationships, open new markets and improve access to competitive sources of rice.
The IEAG expressed confidence that his participation would lead to further strategic partnerships, market opportunities and trade-related benefits for Ghanaian businesses, particularly those operating within the rice importation and distribution value chain.
