A graduate of National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) at Winneba has developed a tech device to help solve the problems of cocoa farmers in the country.
Samuel Ebow Ghunney is filing a patent for his new invention – cocoa beans and pod splitting machine, which operates automatically.
The 21-year-old said he began studying the stress cocoa farmers go through in separating the beans from the pod, using cutlasses, and came up with the machine.
According to him, he recently launched a startup of the device and he is now working towards a way to commercialise the technology, but wants support from the government.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Ghunney said he received support from the Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in bringing his ideas to fruition and praised him for his gesture.
“So far, I’ve received about 500 orders from cocoa farmers and other places, but we are unable to meet the demand because of the challenge – lack of funds to produce more of the machine,” he stated.
Christened: Noghusam Obaatampa, the machine was fabricated at the Creative Metal Warrior Works (CMWW) in Winneba.
Mawuenyega Kpeli, a spokesperson for CMWW, said the cocoa pod splitter was named Obaatampa because a home without a mother is disorganised.
“When there is the presence of a mother figure, there is order so the machine has come to help the cocoa farmers to be organised in their work,” he added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu