An industrial starch factory currently under construction at Amantin in the Atebubu Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region, under the government’s One-district, One-factory (1D1F) policy, is expected to commence operation by January 2019.
Already, 8,000 acres of cassava cultivated last year to feed the factory is nearing its harvesting period while another 8,000 acres of the commodity have been cultivated this year.
Physical structures of the factory, which is being established by the Amantin Agro-Processing Company Limited, are at the roofing stage.
The Manager of the company, Mr William Kwaku Boateng, said the necessary machines and equipment had arrived awaiting the completion of the structure so installation could take place to ensure that production would begin early next year.
Tour
The Atebubu Municipal Directorate of Agriculture organised a tour of the company’s cassava farm to assess its readiness to commence operation.
Mr Boateng explained that 1,200 outgrowers, who had been trained, had currently cultivated a total of 18,000 acres of cassava to feed the factory when it began operation next year.
According to him, while the company would continue to expand its cassava farms, more outgrowers would be engaged next year to ensure that it got enough raw material to operate all year round once it started production.
Mr Boateng said the 1D1F Secretariat had already given approval for the establishment of the factory as part the government’s flagship policy.
Employment
The company, Mr Boateng said, had currently employed 500 permanent workers while about 200 farm hands were engaged each day in the farms.
He added that the company had also taken advantage of the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme to cultivate 2,000 hectares of yellow maize and more than 1,000 acres of sorghum to contribute its quota to the success of the programme.
“There is no better job than farming”, he stated and urged the youth to take advantage of the government’s PFJ programme to create jobs for themselves and employ others.
The Atebubu Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr George D. Amanyoh, commended the company for its immense contribution to the success of the PFJ programme in the district.
He urged the company to continue to strictly adhere to best agronomic practices to enable it to get the required raw materials to feed the factory.
–
Graphiconline
