Sun Baohong and Mavis Hawa Koomson cutting tape on one of the machines to symbolise the official handing over
The Chinese government has through its embassy in Accra donated assorted agro-processing machines to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).
The equipment which comprise of 13 sets of maize milling machines, two sets of soya bean milling machines and a set of millet milling machine with one tonne per hour capacity each and worth in total $217,400 was handed over to the authority on Friday in Accra by the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong.
They are expected to help improve the fortunes of Ghana’s agro-processing industry to meet the food needs of the masses and help create jobs.
The Minister of State in-charge of Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who received the equipment on behalf of SADA, thanked the Chinese government for the gesture.
According to her, a team of technicians from China arrived in Ghana on July 6 to install and train local technicians in the installation, operation and maintenance of the equipment.
Madam Koomson mentioned that “this arrival of this equipment is timely as it will support the flagship programmes of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, especially the ‘one district one factory’, ‘planting for food and jobs’ and infrastructure for poverty eradication programmes.” She disclosed that the government was in the process of laying before parliament a bill to convert SADA into the Northern Development Authority.
Sun Baohong indicated that her government has always been placing high importance on agriculture.
“China produces 25% of the world’s food with only 9% of the world’s land supporting 20% of the world’s population,” she said.
According to her, China and Ghana have over the years “conducted win-win and fruitful cooperation in agriculture.”
The CEO of SADA, Charles Abugri, expressed the hope that the donation would help Ghana’s agro-processing industry and also further contribute to the development of the impoverished northern zone of Ghana.
BY Melvin Tarlue