Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Groupe Nduom (GN), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has officially cut sod for the construction of a 100-tonne rice milling factory at Assin Breku in the Central Region.
This follows the inauguration of a refurbished 72-tonne Worawora Rice Mill Factory in the Volta Region on Tuesday.
Addressing the chiefs and people of Assin Breku on Friday, 4 November, Dr Nduom recounted that he went to the area to campaign for votes and heard complaints from the townsfolk, most of whom are rice farmers that their rice produce always went to waste and, thus, needed help.
Dr Nduom explained that he met with his managers and tailored a way to solve that challenge.
Dr Nduom decried the lack of development in the area and added that if the community works with him, they will get the social amenities they lack.
He disclosed that farmers in other jurisdictions (Europe, Asia and America) are living well and same could be replicated in the area within five years.
“Business will commence after completion of the mill in April 2017. After Easter, farmers will not pound rice again. Machines will do that. Rice farmers will be given training to be able to cultivate good and high quality rice for milling,” he said.
He continued: “…If the business grows, combine harvesters will be brought in to replace manual harvesting by farmers. It is my hope that we can work steadily with other investors throughout the country to halt rice importation in 2020.”
The businessman told the people that the Worawora Rice Mill Factory is working and assured them that same will happen in the area.
Managing Director of the Ghana Growth Fund Company (GGFC), the investing arm of GN, Kwame Ofori Asomaning, in a welcome address indicated that Dr Nduom has a vision to halt rice importation which takes $1.2 billion yearly to Thailand, Taiwan, America and Chinese farmers.
He believes that Ghanaian farmers should be enjoying that money which could be used to develop rice growing communities and create thousands of jobs.
President of Assin North Rice Farmers Association, Mammoud Kwaku Oppong, was hopeful that many farmers will benefit from Dr Nduom’s initiative.
Sanaahene of Assin Breko, Nana Asare Baffour, who spoke on behalf of the 49 chiefs in the area, commended Dr Nduom for his initiative, saying he was a man of his word unlike others.
He told the people that the factory is the outcome of a meeting held between the chiefs and Dr Nduom a few months ago.
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