Northern Region: Akufo-Addo Commissions Gh¢7.3 Million Rice Processing Factory

The President of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned a GH¢7.3 million rice processing factory at Savelugu in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region as part of the president's 2-day tour.

He was joined by the chiefs and people of the Municipality on Saturday, August 7, 2021, to commission the factory.

The rice factory has the capacity to produce between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour and the facility has installed equipment including modern parboiling, milling and packaging plants.

His Excellency Nana Addo said the factory is in fulfilment of the one-district one-factory promised by his party.

He indicated that the factory has a standby generator plant for a continuous supply of power in the event of an electricity outage.

There is a  mechanized borehole to supply water to the facility with fully furnished office accommodation for staff, a conference room, laboratory and a canteen.  

The Savelugu Rice Factory was constructed under the 1-District-1-Factory Common User Facility (CUF), which is an agro-industrial factory established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

According to the President, the factory will employ about 118 people including management professionals, factory floor workers and plantation workers who will work on a nucleus rice farm.

In addition, over 600 farmers from Savelugu Municipality and neighbouring communities will be directly engaged to supply paddy rice for processing.

The rice processing factory was funded by the African Development Bank, ADB.

President Nana Akufo-Addo also commissioned a GH¢6.04 million Savelugu Technology Solution Centre (TSC), which is one of 5 new facilities being established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP). 

The other four are located at Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region, Hohoe in the Volta Region, Elmina in the Central Region and Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.

The five new TSCs are an upgraded version of and an addition to the original 26 Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs) established by REP, across the country in collaboration with GRATIS and the host District Assemblies.

The key functions of the TSCs is to produce spare parts and maintenance services to the district factories and also provide training for human resource capacity building.

The chiefs and people of the Municipality were happy with the government’s initiatives.

Abdul Sammed Gurundari