Anto (WR) Feb. 25, GNA – The European Union’s GrEEn project is financing the construction of a state-of-the-art Rice Processing factory at Anto in the Shama District of the Western region.
The factory to be owned by Jesse Prah Enterprise at 175,000 cedis would have a Rice Mill, De-stoner, dehusker, polisher, grading session and Pelletier machine, among others to improve rice production in the Region and enhance job creation.
Jesse Roland Prah, a Rice Farmer and Producer of the Roland Rice, is a young enterprising man who participated in various activities carried out by the project through SNV and other implementing partners and emerged the ultimate winner of the challenge fund to expand the existing businesses.
The grant offered an opportunity to expand the operations of Roland Rice and make his business greener by converting husk from the rice farm into pellets and briquettes, a cleaner replacement to charcoal.
Ms Genevieve Parker -Twum, Senior Adviser, Incubation and Acceleration at the SNV, during the sod-cutting ceremony said the GrEEn Project was a four-year action co-implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organization and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable green businesses in two selected regions.
She said the GrEEn Project was being implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa with a contribution of EUR 20,000,000 from the European Union and co-funding of 600,000 from SNV, UNCDF and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
“This is also to help the local economy to grow and develop and support sustainable, green businesses that are using practices and strategies that make use of waste material or fight the effects of climate change,” she added.
The European Union is funding the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project in the Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana.
As part of GrEEn’s objectives of supporting green businesses and entrepreneurs, SNV Ghana rolled out the GrEEn Innovation Challenge in 2021 to award a matching grant of up to EUR 25,000 (GHC 175,000) per SME to businesses that have innovative products and services in SNV’s three sectors; agriculture, renewable energy and energy efficiency and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
In December 2021, a total of 12 green businesses were selected and received a matching grant of GHS 1,170 million under the maiden GrEEn Innovation Challenge.
Jesse Prah Enterprise, the producers of Roland Rice in the Western region, was one of the green businesses to win the complete matching grant of GHC 175,000.
Under the GrEEn Project, Jesse Prah Enterprise has also received six months of free business advisory support from SNV Ghana under the GrEEn Incubation Programme facilitated by Duapa Werkspace, a business hub, in the Western region.
The GrEEn Incubation Programme is a business support programme targeting green start-ups, sustainable businesses and provides eco-inclusive business model development, financial management, product development, market development and linkages, business regulatory compliance, peer-to-peer networking and exchanges as well as investment readiness support to green businesses.
Mr Ebenezer Dadzie, the District Chief Executive of Shama, was happy about the establishment of the factory, which would improve upon locally produced rice and as well make the industry attractive to the youth and allow them to take advantage of that aspect of the economy.
He, therefore, called for massive support by local rice producers to ensure the survival of the company.
Mr Jesse Roland Prah, the owner of the factory, expressed joy for such laudable support to expand and grow the rice industry in the area.
He praised the GrEEn project for the hunt of prospective individual businesses, mentoring and coaching that had resulted in the massive opportunity.
Mr Prah assured Ghanaians of an improved and quality brand of rice for daily healthy eating and living.
GNA