By: Raymond Rex Awiagah
Background
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Ghana, in partnership with Pure and Just Company Limited, has officially inaugurated a state-of-the-art dry fruit processing facility in Nsawam, promising significant economic impact for the local community.
New jobs created at Pure and Just Limited
The new facility, Pure and Just Company Limited has the capacity to process an impressive 144 tonnes of fresh fruits annually, with an estimated annual revenue generation of GH¢28 million. More importantly, it is set to create between 60 to 80 new jobs, offering much-needed employment opportunities in the region.
Under the USAID-feed the future Africa trade and investment activity, pure and just received$440,480 (over 7 million Ghana Cedis) to expand the factory.
Expected outcomes at Pure and Just Limited
The facility is expected to help expand the processing capacity of Pure and Just Limited, which transforms fresh fruits, such as mango, papaya (pawpaw), pineapple and banana, into all-natural dried products through climate-smart agro-processing for local consumption and export.
It aims at facilitating rural-urban businesses by linking rural farm produce to local and foreign retail opportunities through agro-processing, enabling employment opportunities for young adults and women.
The assurance from USAID
Speaking at the USAID-Supported Export -Oriented Factory Launch at Nsawam in Ghana, the Acting Mission Director of USAID Ghana, Grace Lang said the US Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) remains committed to supporting local food processing firms to attract the needed funding for expansion and export.
According to her, Ghana holds substantial potential in the global processed fruit market but 66% of fresh fruits from Ghana are rejected annually due to inadequate post harvest handling, sanitary issues which impedes economic growth.
“So US effort in improving food security, create jobs, foster economic growth and ultimately enhance the wellbeing and prosperity of Ghanaians and USAID is central to that effort, Pure and Just is a shining example of how such USAID investments can unlock Ghana’s economic and agricultural potential.
The appreciation from Pure and Just Limited
Chief Executive Officer of Pure and Just , Yvette Tetteh expressed her appreciation to USAID and other partners for the support.
She recounted the humble beginning of how they converted a rentered house into a factory to start production.
“From the rented house we thought we can be a real company , we can mobilize resources, we can bring together a team to create a product that is amazing, that is beautiful that is impressive that people can be proud of and in doing that work, we can also create employment for young people, we can create high revenue for our farmers and we can really be a part of contributing to the development of Ghana”.
Conclusion
The factory has the potential to process 144 tons of fresh fruits a year, generate 28 million Ghana Cedis in annual revenue, create jobs, and provide economic opportunities for up to 1,500 farmers.