The first project under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s ‘One District, One Factory’ flagship programme is taking off at Ekumfi in the Central Region – believed to be the hometown of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
The National Coordinator of the programme, Gifty Ohene-Konadu, revealed that plans were advanced with an entrepreneur in the area to establish a pineapple factory at Ekumfi.
She noted that Ekumfiman will be the first town to benefit from the ‘One District, One Factory’ initiative. This forms part of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government’s strategy to develop the area to honour the late president.
According to Gifty Ohene-Konadu, former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, the project is expected to employ over 5,000 workers.
“With the little investigations we have done so far, the initiative will provide 5,000 direct jobs to the farmers, besides the formal jobs that the factory will offer,” she hinted, adding that land had been allocated for the construction of houses to accommodate the workers.
Ms Ohene-Konadu said funds had been secured for the factory. As part of the project, government will give subsidies to cushion farmers to increase their produce. She therefore encouraged farmers, especially those in the area, to grow more pineapples for the factory.
“Sometimes you don’t have buyers to buy your pineapples but when we establish this factory, you will get a ready market for your produce…the interesting part is that the Chinese can use the pineapple crown to sew wedding dresses,” she stated.
Ms Ohene-Konadu said these at a durbar organised in honour of President Akufo-Addo at Ekumfi Essakyir in the Ekumfi District.
She maintained that soon, Nana Akufo-Addo would cut the sod for the construction of the factory.
The Acting President of the Ekumfi Traditional Area, Nana Idun, pledged his support for the president’s initiative. He added that natural resources, including land, are available for any developmental project that the government wants to embark on in the area.