Rehabilitation, expansion and construction works on a wholly Ghanaian-owned agro-processing company, Central Oil Mills Limited, in the Hemang Lower Denkyira District in the Central Region under the ‘One district, one factory’ (1D1F) programme is near completion.
This is as a result of an investment support of GH¢14 million received from the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank under the 1D1F programme.
The new factory at Asamanso and the expansion work at Mfuom are about 95 per cent and 90 per cent complete, and are both expected to be fully completed by
next month.
These came to light when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo visited the company last Tuesday as part of his two-day tour of the Central Region.
Wholly Ghanaian-owned
Located at Jukwa-Mfuom and Jukwa-Ansamanso, Central Oil Mills Limited, which is into oil palm development and palm oil processing, has embarked on an
expansion programme and building of value addition facilities at its factory sites.
The Ghana EXIM Bank’s approval of a medium-term loan facility totalling GH¢14 million made it possible for the company to undertake three main activities
including the rehabilitation and expansion of an existing factory at Jukwa-Mfuom.
The loan was also to aid in the establishment of a brand new secondary value-addition oil palm processing factory at Jukwa-Asamanso, with the capacity to
process vegetables, including canned and bottled products as well as expand and develop oil palm plantation.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Aaron Sagoe, said the project involved the expansion of an existing oil palm mill with an initial capacity of 2,400
metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per annum into a bigger mill with a minimum capacity of 12,000 metric tonnes of FFB per annum on a single shift, with
the capacity to do double shift.
With a yield of 20 per cent, he said that would produce 2,400 metric tonnes of palm oil per annum, which could be processed into secondary canned and bottled
products.
Again, he said with support from the 1D1F programme, the company had increased its storage capacity from 30 metric tonnes to 150 metric tonnes.
Sod cutting
Earlier, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of a 12.1 kilometre Twifo Hemang-Nsutem road as part of his tour of the Central Region.
The GH¢31 million project being undertaken by Pergus Houston Engineering Limited would be completed in 24 months.
The works include clearing, construction of concrete drains, culverts, earthworks, sub-base, base, primer seal, seal line marking and road signs.
The project on completion would provide access to farms, schools and other facilities and open the district up for socio-economic activities by significantly
reducing travel and vehicular operation cost.
During a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Twifo Hemang,Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku IV President Akufo-Addo said the government would continuously improve
the state of roads in the country.
Otumfuo Sasraku had earlier expressed worry over the poor road network in the district and appealed to the President to improve the road network in the area.
Source: graphic.com.gh
