Alfred Kwame Wilson, the chairman of the company addressing the media
The Management of the Akuapem Gold Avocado Cultivation and Processing Limited, a processing factory under the 1D1F located at Akyem – Nkronso in the Eastern Region will soon start the processing of oil from avocado as well as export the raw fruit.
The Chairman of the company, Alfred Kwame Wilson who made this known during a media tour to the site and its farms at Begoro enclave noted that they can produce 110 metric tonnes of avocado oil and package 300-400 metric tonnes of avocado fruit per day for export.
He explained that they already nursed more than two million avocado seedlings for its farms located in the Fanteakwa North District, adding that its farm is one of the largest in the sub-region.
He said “We have a huge land area already under cultivation. Usually avocado takes three to five years to start fruiting but the best agronomic practices we have put in place coupled with the ‘Hass’ variety we acquired from Kenya, has made it possible for us to start fruiting in less than two years and this is an indication of the good investments we making here”.
He was optimistic that beyond the production of avocado oil and fresh fruits export, the company will produce avocado drinks, animal feed, and medicinal products among others.
The company, he said, has more than 28,000 acres of land bank and was targeting an avocado plantation of about 25,000 acres in the next years coming.
When operational, the company would employ over 400 workers on the factory floor, which was 80 per cent complete, and on the farms and hoping to create more jobs through the out-grower scheme, he added.
He said soaring global demand for avocado products due to the fruit’s health benefits placed the company in a unique position to enhance Ghana’s export earnings.
The company, he added, would work with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to address challenges that could derail the commencement of operations.
At the farms, the Chief Agronomist, Mr Richard Baidoo also explained to the media that local varieties are grafted alongside to protect the ‘Hass’ variety adopted from Kenya.
He added that “The fruit is not as big as our local variety but the seed inside is huge and the oil content in the seed is the highest. So, every commercial entity will be interested in optimizing their oil extraction rate and that is why we borrowed from the Kenyans”.
BY Daniel Bampoe