President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has opened a rice processing factory at Savelugu in the Northern Region to help boost rice production in the country.
The GH¢7.3 million, including the cost of factory building, processing plant and machinery, office, office equipment and a pickup vehicle to help create job opportunities within the municipality compliments the government’s One District One Factory.
It is also expected to employ about 118 people including management professionals, factory floor workers and plantation workers who will work on a nucleus rice farm with over 600 farmers from the municipality and surrounding communities to benefit directly to supply rice for processing. The model seeks to enhance the ability of agricultural value chain actors with low or no financial wherewithal to own individual or group processing facilities.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Akufo Addo said government was committed to growing the economy with the establishment of industries to produce and feed the nation. This, according to the President, would help curb the importation of similar products but rather help the country generate more revenue.
“The importance of the rice processing factory cannot be underestimated as it will add value to production of rice, increase the income of rice farmers and create employment for the people in the area,” he said.
He also commended the chief and people of Savelugu for their tremendous support with the release of the land as well as the needed manpower to construct the factory and that the project would go a long way to alleviate poverty in the area.
The Paramount Chief of the Savelugu, Yoo Naa Abdulai Andani, thanked the president for the establishment of the rice processing factory in the municipality and assured that effort would be to maintain and sustain the factory for a better future. He said it would go a long way to create jobs for the youth and therefore appealed to investors to come and help the factory to function well.
