Cashew processing factory inaugurated at Bui
A cashew processing factory has been inaugurated at the Bui Generating Station (BGS) at Bui in the Banda District in the Bono Region to process raw cashew nuts and boost economic growth in the area.
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Constructed in partnership with the Bui Power Authority (BPA) and Cash-U Company Limited, the factory is expected to process 12,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually.
Bui and its partner said plans were underway to upgrade the facility to produce cashew nut oil.
The project, which was constructed under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative has a 500-acre cashew plantation and a processing plant on a 20-acre land.
Already, the plantation dubbed "Cash-U Farm" has created jobs for approximately 55 locals and it is projected to employ about 250 locals when it operates in its full capacity.
The Bono Region, with 12 administrative municipalities and districts, is known for its significant cashew production, as almost every district is actively involved in the cultivation of the cash crop.
The establishment of the factory will, therefore, help process the huge volume of raw materials to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance livelihoods and foster socio-economic empowerment in the region.
Inaugurating the project last Wednesday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BPA, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, said the establishment of the factory was part of the authority's industrialisation agenda to boost economic growth within the Bui operational area.
He said the completion of the factory was also in perfect alignment with BPA’s Bui City Agenda goals to harness the potential of the Bui enclave for economic growth.
Investment
He urged investors to continue to invest in and expand the factory's capacity to create more employment and invited more investors to invest in the Bui City Agenda.
Mr Dzamesi said the location of the factory, nestled within the 184,000 hectares of land secured for the Bui project, showed the BPA’s commitment to maximising local resources for economic development.
He said through the utilisation of the current network of local farmers, the BPA’s goal was to create a sustainable supply chain for the factory, starting with locally sourced raw materials and eventually transitioning to cultivation on the designated acres of land for cashew plantations.
"While the current focus of the factory lies in the processing of cashew nuts for both export and domestic consumption, our future plans include the development and production of cashew oil for both local and international markets," he said.
Test
For his part, the Managing Director of Cash-U Company Limited, Lionel Wu, said the factory had passed all trial tests before the start of production at the beginning of this year.
He said BPA charged his outfit to develop the 500-acre land for the cashew plantation and the 20-acre land for the processing plant.
Mr Wu explained that the factory would also utilise produce from small-scale farmers within the enclave.
He thanked the BPA and the chiefs and people in the area for assisting the company through the registration process needed for the project to start.
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