GHANA – Ghana has commissioned the revived Nano Foods Limited, a pineapple juice processing factory at Nsawam of the Eastern Region, under the One-District, One-Factory (1D1F) initiative.
The fruit processing company, formerly known as Astek Refresh Pineapple Juice Factory, ceased operations 21 years ago and resumed manufacturing in April this year.
This was made possible through a US$1.6 million capital support from Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Food and Drugs Authority, and Free Zones Board facilitated by the One-District, One-Factory Secretariat.
According to the Presidency of the Republic of Ghana, Nano Foods, which has already provided about 100 direct jobs to the youth in the area, can process up to 6,000 metric tonnes of pineapple fruits into juice per annum.
This translates to 8 million cans of finished products per year, serving both the local and export markets of the USA, Europe, and the Middle East.
To feed the factory, Nano Foods Limited currently deals with 13 Pineapple Associations and Co-operatives in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipalities and Akuapem South District, thus offering a direct market for the farmers’ produce and increasing their income.
Ghana’s Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia while officially opening the facility, highlighted the success story of the 1D1F initiative so far, pointing out its perfect link with the government’s other transformational projects such as the Planting for Food and Jobs.
“The charge by the President is that we must move away from harvesters and exporters of low-value unprocessed agricultural products, and we must do so in a hurry.
“Planting for Food and Jobs is our first step. 1D1F is the second step to linking agriculture and industry. This is the way to enhance agricultural productivity, scale production, add value to what we produce, create jobs, increase incomes, and improve livelihoods,” Dr. Bawumia said.
To date, a total of 232 projects are at various stages of implementation under the 1D1F initiative. Out of this, 77 factories are in operation, 106 projects are under construction, and 13 are pipeline projects while construction has begun on 36 factories.
The Vice President further revealed that EXIM Bank would inject an additional US$2 million into the company’s operations.
He is optimistic that the second phase of the company’s expansion would propel it to a US$10 million annual turnover in the next two to three years and increase the staff strength from 100 to 300.
Further, he highlighted that the initiative could be the game-changer in Ghana’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery and transformation if well harnessed.
With economies around the world ravaged by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and countries planning to overcome the effects, Dr. Bawumia believes Ghana’s strategic revitalization of industries, which commenced before covid-19 struck, could play a key role in Ghana’s economic recovery.
“Without doubt, if Ghanaians can capitalize on the innumerable benefits of the 1D1F, it could be a game changer for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery and transformation of Ghana,” Dr. Bawumia said.
Ghana’s industrial development agenda will position it well to harness the benefits of the newly launched African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), covering the entire region with a total population of about 1.2 billion and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$3 Trillion.