President Nana Akufo-Addo has commissioned the GH¢7.3 million Savelugu rice processing factory, as part of his two-day tour of the Northern Region.
The factory is a state-of-the-art rice facility, with the capacity to produce between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour.
The processing plants installed at the factory include modern parboiling, milling and packaging plants.
It has a standby generator plant and a mechanised borehole to supply the facility with water. It also has a fully furnished office accommodation for staff, a conference room, laboratory and a canteen/kitchen.
The Savelugu Rice Factory was constructed under the 1-District-1-Factory Common User Facility (CUF), which is an agro-industrial factory established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The factory, President Akufo-Addo was told, will employ about 118 people including management professionals, factory floor workers and plantation workers who will work on a nucleus rice farm.
In addition, over 600 farmers from Savelugu Municipality and neighbouring communities will be directly engaged to supply paddy rice for processing.
With funding from the African Development Bank, the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) has established five of these CUFs nationwide.
The 1D1F CUF factories are located in Savelugu (rice processing; Nkran Nkwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region (rice processing); Akontombra in the Sefwi Akontombra District of the Western North Region (rice processing); Dompim in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region (Oil Palm processing); and in Nsuta in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region (Maize processing).
Also, President Akufo-Addo commissioned the GH¢6.04 million Savelugu Technology Solution Centre (TSC), which is one of five new facilities being established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP).
The other four are located at Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region, Hohoe in the Volta Region, Elmina in the Central Region and Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.
The five new TSCs are an upgraded version of and an addition to the original 26 Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs) established by REP, across the country in collaboration with GRATIS and the host District Assemblies.
The TSCs are set up to support the Government’s Industrialization Agenda, particularly the 1D1F initiative.
The key functions include production of spare parts and repair services for district factories and the oil & gas industry, manufacturing of agro-processing equipment, provide training for human resource capacity building.
To enhance the increased number of trainees, hostels facilities have been provided for both males and females at five of the older TSCs; and to admit trainees from within and outside the districts/municipalities they are located.