Ghana is negotiating with the World Bank to help fund a project aimed at boosting rice production in the West African nation, the Ghana News Agency reported, citing Vice President John Dramani Mahama. The government plans to irrigate rice farmlands in the southeastern Accra plains using water transported from the lower Volta River, the Accra-based news agency said. Ghana spends about $500 million a year on rice imports, GNA said. The country plans to increase production by 60 percent within the next two years, it said. Ghana produced 242,000 metric tons of rice a year, according the Food and Agricultural Organization’s Web site. (Bloomberg)