Abura-Dunkwa (C/R), March 31, GNA – Management of the Tropical Starch Company Limited, the leading cassava processing company in the Central Region, says it is committed to its vision of becoming the leading starch processing company in the country by 2026.
In pursuit of that, it has secured more than 20 acres of cassava plantation, in addition to the existing hundreds of acres of cassava plantations owned by out-growers.
As well, it has engaged the services of more than 300 direct and indirect employees across the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District while exploring similar opportunities in the Ekumfi District.
Alhaji Musa Ali, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, told the Ghana News Agency that the company hoped to slow down rural-urban migration.
This, he said, will lead to improvement in the livelihoods of rural dwellers, improve the environment by reducing the concentration of industrial units in big cities and generate more employment for farmers and other job seekers.
“Access and empowerment for people of all abilities is our aim to reduce unemployment and remove barriers to equal participation regardless of one’s location in society.”
Currently, the starch manufacturing company processes gari fortified with orange fresh potatoes, industrial starch for textiles production and high-quality cassava flour for the confectionery and the food industry.
Sitting on a three-acre land, Alhaji Ali said the company processed 40 tonnes of raw cassava and 10 tonnes of starch when operating at maximum capacity.
However, at a minimum capacity, he said, the company processed 20 tons of raw cassava and five tons of finished products to its numerous supplies in Ghana and beyond.
Outlining the production processes, Alhaji Ali said the cassava starch processing machine cleaned the attached impurities of cassava, grated cassava into a pulp and then separated fibres, protein and other impurities in cassava pulp to get pure starch.
Thereafter, it dewaters and dry starch to get high international standards quality cassava starch and flour by mechanical method.
Touting the company’s bright future, he called on the government to consider its documents presented to the one district, one factory (1D1F) Secretariat to empower the company to create more jobs for the youth in the area.
He commended the government’s industrialization drive as essential for the establishment of more industries to create more job opportunities.
The 1D1F policy to boost a massive private sector-led nationwide industrialisation drive, which will equip and empower communities to utilise local resources in manufacturing products that are in high demand for both local and international markets.
GNA