Richard Ahiagba
The
Danquah Institute (DI) has scored Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Limited (Ekumfi) — a One District, One Factory (1D1F) company—very high for its positive impact on employment
and also improving the condition of residents of the area.
The
Executive Director of the institute, Richard Ahiagba, who is currently
evaluating some of the completed 1D1F projects and their impact on employment
generation, said the public has high hopes in the projects and must be
supported to turn the fortunes of the economy around.
He
said “the audit is a way to provide feedback on how well the 1D1F is achieving
or failing to achieve its stated objectives. Ekumfi has proven that given time
and goodwill from all stakeholders, every district could leverage its natural
resources for development.”
“The
government must be encouraged by the Ekumfi success story to support more 1D1F
initiatives in the pipeline and struggling industries because at only 40%
capacity, Ekumfi is employing 80 workers per shift and 400 farmers on its 2,000-acre
pineapple plantation. This is the silver bullet; Ghana needs to address the
raging problems of unemployment, poverty and import dependency,” he said after
an assessment tour of the factory.
Frederick
Kobbyna Acquah, Director of Operations, Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Limited, who
took the DI boss around, said the company was on course to achieve its founding
objectives, which include creating local employment, opening up and lifting
Ekumfi from the list of poor districts by building a generational company that
thrives on the strength of Ekumfi.
Mr.
Acquaah said “we are privileged to have the Paramount Chief of the Ekumfi
Traditional Area, Adeefo Nana Akyin VII, as one of the leading growers of
pineapple for the factory,” adding that the chief is serving as a source of
encouragement for the teeming youth to go into pineapple growing.
Kankam
Biney, a chief agronomist, said the company provides extended technical support
for the farmers from land preparation to harvesting, and added that as part of
the company’s quality control policy they get involved from the beginning to
assure the quality of every pineapple that enters the company’s crusher.
Mr.
Ahiagba said he later interacted with some of the factory workers and said their
enthusiasm was high.
“What
is happening at Ekumfi is consistent with the history of industrialization the
world over. Manufacturing opens up villages, towns, or countries for the
movement of essential labour and skills,” he added.