First ‘one district one factory’ births in Ho

The government's policy of 'one District –one factory' has been embraced in the Ho Municipality by Reagvin Ventures Limited, a private company, which has decided to establish a factory at Atikpui to produce cassava on commercial bases, which would be processed into various products for both domestic and foreign consumption.

The company, which is a private business initiative, has already acquired five thousand hectares of farmland for cassava plantation at Atikpui to feed the processing plant to be established at Tokokoe, all in the Ho Municipality.

A memorandum of understanding between the company and the traditional authorities has been completed.

Addressing the Media on the preparations made so far towards the establishment of the factory, the Chief Executive Officer of Reagvin Ventures,  Mr. Vincent Norgbordzi disclosed that the company had received GHC296,000 from the Exim Bank of Ghana as financial assistant to the company for the purchase of equipment as the first phase of the project.

Mr. Norgbordzi explained that when the project was fully in operation, it would help create 2,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs, which he noted would help in reducing the high youth unemployment in the Municipality.

It would also prevent the youth from seeking non existing white colour jobs in towns and cities.

He continued that the company, in collaboration with Africa Lead and Farm Serve Consults, have so far trained 500 out growers in modern farming techniques, particularly cassava cultivation, as well as other cash crops, stressing that the beneficiaries of the training programmes were also educated on accurate record keeping skills to enable them to manage their business activities more effectively when the factory starts its operation.

Mr. Norgbordzi therefore appealed to the youth to take advantage of available opportunities like the factory that would soon embark on commercial activities to generate income for themselves and improve their living conditions, rather than depending on non existing white colour jobs, saying the factory would bring hope to the people and all should embrace it.

The Public Affairs Director of the Company, Mr. Patrice Selormey said the factory would go into industrial starch production; ethanol and cassava flour production for export and local use and disclosed that market for the products exist in Europe and China, while local market is also encouraging.

Mr. Selormey, however, called for the construction of the Atikpui–Hodzo road to pave way for easy transportation of goods and services, saying the current situation was not the best. According to him, good road networks are panacea for fruitful socioeconomic activities that would make it possible for the people to engage in businesses that would lead to wealth creation.

From Samuel Agbewode, Ho.