By Daniel Adu Darko
Juapong (V/R), Aug. 20, GNA – Ahodwo Farms has appealed for GH¢2 million in working capital to expand gari production and participate in the 24-Hour Economy policy.
The farm said increased financing would enable it to raise production, create jobs and purchase more cassava from local farmers.
Mr Kofi Ansah, Chief Executive Officer of Ahodwo Farms, made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a visit to the farm to document the impact of a loan facility provided to agripreneurs under the Post-COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP), funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
He said the company currently operated 20 manual gari frying spots, with each worker capable of producing about 100 kilogrammes of gari daily, depending on the availability of cassava dough.
Mr Ansah said the combined capacity of the manual and automated fryers enabled the farm to produce at least four tonnes of gari daily under its current operating arrangement.
He said production could rise to about eight tonnes daily under a two-shift operation, creating additional employment opportunities, particularly for women.
“If we are to produce at full capacity, one cycle will be doing 24 tonnes a week. If we get the benefit of the 24-Hour Economy, whether it is electricity support, and we employ two cycles, we have 20 frying spots so that alone can employ 40 women,” he said.
Mr Ansah said the first shift could operate from 0800 hours to 1600 hours, followed by a second shift from 1630 hours to 2130 hours.
He identified inadequate working capital as the main constraint to operating at full capacity, saying the entire gari production process required upfront financing.
“Every week, we buy cassava worth between GH¢40,000 and GH¢50,000. If GH¢40,000 to GH¢50,000 is going into cassava, you need at least GH¢100,000 a week to process an average of about 10 tonnes,” he said.
Mr Ansah urged the government to facilitate access to affordable financing for private businesses participating in the 24-Hour Economy policy.
He suggested that the Ghana EXIM Bank and the Ghana Enterprises Agency could provide financing or guarantees to credible businesses at single-digit interest rates.
Mr Ansah also proposed government-backed guarantees to enable businesses to access financing from development partners and other financial institutions.
He said the proposed GH¢2 million facility would enable Ahodwo Farms to pre-finance operations, increase gari production and package its products for supermarkets, provision shops and institutional consumers.
Mr Ansah proposed linking local processors of rice, maize, gari and other commodities to institutional markets, including the School Feeding Programme.
“If I am asked to supply 200 tonnes of gari to the School Feeding Programme and the government is the one to pay me back, you give me the source to produce and link me to the off taker. The money will come back, and we all run an account that is transparent. Everything passes through the bank, and the repayment will come through,” he said.
Mr Ansah said he applied to participate in the 24-Hour Economy programme in March 2026 and received an acknowledgement of receipt but had not received subsequent communication on the application.
He appealed to relevant government agencies to engage businesses with the capacity to participate in the programme.
“We know that there are opportunities out there. The few that we can identify and knock on the doors, they should open them to us, and they should send a staff member to come and see us,” he said.
Mr Ansah said the farm’s expansion was constrained by working capital rather than production capacity.
“I am stuck at the capacity that I can pre finance, not that I can not do more. I am turning down cassava farmers because I do not have the working capital to pre finance my operations,” he said.
Ahodwo Farms occupies about 1,200 acres, with 800 acres under cassava cultivation for gari production.
The farm also sources cassava from about 1,200 outgrowers in neighbouring communities and employs 75 permanent workers.
Mr Ansah said additional working capital and stronger linkages with institutional off-takers would enable the farm to increase production, absorb more cassava from local farmers and create additional jobs.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Daniel Adu Darko
Email: [email protected]