By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Oct 12, GNA-The Volta Regional House of Chiefs and their Chinese partners, the Moaming Yuantian Food Company Limited and the Guangzhou Zhongjialian International Holdings Company Limited are harnessing their expertise and resources in signing an economic bilateral partnership agreement, targeted to transform the local economy.
Moaming Yuantian Food Co., Ltd., a major Chinese aquaculture company, focuses on investment in commercial fish farming in the Volta Region with the Guangzhou Zhongjialian International Holdings Company, project executor and investment management entity would be responsible for the business connections, overall coordination and investment operations.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, President of the House, in an exclusive interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the project is intended to establish a modern fish-processing facility that will serve both the domestic market and international export demands.
He said the Moaming Yuantian Food Co., Ltd. is reported to have a daily tilapia processing capacity of 150,000 kilogrammes across nine production lines and exports fish products to about 70 countries.
The company operates more than 260,000 mu of tilapia ponds and are expected to transfer fish production and processing technology to the region.
He said the initiative seeks to transform the Volta Region’s aquatic resources into economic value through modern fish processing, employment creation, technology transfer, and expanded domestic and international markets.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, also the Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area, described the business trip to China as “strategic, enormous, insightful and timely.”
He said the proposed large-scale tilapia processing project in Ghana’s Volta Region, aligns the establishing the Volta Region as an industrial hub through the sustainable use of the Volta River’s resources as part of the proposed Volta Economic Corridor initiative, which aims to harness the resources to promote industrialisation, economic growth, and employment in the region.
He President disclosed that the partners are intends to construct a customised, fully equipped fish-processing plant in the Region, replicating their existing operations in China, to include modern machinery for fish processing, preservation, packaging, and storage.
“The planned facility is expected to include: automatic fish-scaling machines, fish cleaning, back-splitting, and filleting equipment, freezing equipment, cold-chain storage facilities, packaging and production lines as well as aquatic pre-treatment equipment,” the elated Togbe said.
These technologies are expected to support efficient fishing processing, quality assurance and compliance with export-market requirements.
Expected Economic and Social Benefits
The project is expected to deliver several benefits to the Region and country at large: to create employment in fish farming, processing, transportation, packaging, storage, and related services, skills development and hands-on training, tech transfer and on-the-job training, export growth of processed tilapia to Europe and other international markets, local supply of processed fish for domestic consumption.
Other benefits would give greater industrial development and recognition to the Region as a centre for fish production and processing in aquaculture, logistics, cold storage, and related industries.
Immediate Actions and Next Steps
The following priorities: Legal and regulatory preparation has been activated by developing or reviewing the appropriate laws, regulations, and institutional arrangements needed to support the project; Site selection with the Chinese partners to assess and identify suitable location for the factory; Secure the support of relevant regional authorities, government institutions, and other stakeholders; Infrastructure planning to assess the requirements for water access, electricity, transportation, cold-chain logistics, and other essential services as well as project implementation planning for eventual commencement of operations.
Togbe Tepre Hodo said this project is being presented as a strategic pioneering initiative that could demonstrate the economic potential of the Volta Region. By combining local aquatic resources with Chinese processing technology and technical expertise, it could strengthen the fisheries value chain, create jobs, expand exports, and support the broader objectives of the proposed Volta Economic Corridor.
He underscored that the proposed tilapia processing project represents a potential partnership between Ghana and Chinese investors and its success would depend on effective stakeholder collaboration, appropriate legal and regulatory arrangements, suitable site selection, reliable infrastructure, skills development, and environmentally responsible waste management.
Some Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed between the Regional House of Chiefs and Guangdong Welleap Information Technology Company, a Chinese technology firm, to promote digital transformation and facilitate technology transfer to the Volta Region; another with Foshan Jinting Construction Engineering Company Limited, a construction and engineering firm based in Foshan, focuses on infrastructure and industrial development and a comprehensive investment agreement was signed with SINOHUI Investment Ghana Limited to provide a platform for channelling Chinese direct investment into Ghana.
The key areas of interest included waste management and treatment equipment and services, information and intelligent technology products, municipal engineering equipment, and the establishment of an ICT training school in the Volta Region.
The visit was at the invitation of Ghana’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Mr Kojo Bonsu, is aimed at exploring concrete investment partnerships to support development initiatives and address key challenges facing the Volta Region.
The delegation, coordinated by Mr Peter Ahiakpor, a Volta native and businessman, includes Togbe Gabusu VII of Hohoe, Togbe Atikpladza Agbi Yao VIII of Kpalime, Togbe Sei II of Botoku, Togbe Dagadu IX of Kpando, Togbe Tenge Dzokoto Gligui VII of Anyako, and Togbe Adama III of Some’.
GNA
Edited by: Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Maxwell Awumah, GNA