The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on the Minister for Trade and Agribusiness, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, to prioritize securing long-term financial support for local farmers to expand production and sustain industries.
According to the King, Ghana faces a critical shortage of raw materials to supply industries, a challenge that has not received sufficient attention. Citing his Bodukwan Multi-Fruit Company Limited, Otumfuo highlighted the difficulties his fruit processing factory encounters in sourcing enough raw materials to operate at full capacity.
“We lack the raw materials to feed industries. It is ineffective to have industries if we do not have the raw materials to sustain them. I have a farm that supplies my factory, but it is not enough, so we rely on other farmers to meet production demands. That in itself is a huge challenge,” he stated.
Otumfuo revealed that due to inadequate supply, his company sometimes has to transport pineapples from the Volta Region to keep operations running.
He urged the Trade and Agribusiness Ministry to introduce long-term financing options to support farmers in scaling up production. This, he emphasized, is crucial to ensuring self-sufficiency in agricultural raw materials and sustaining the growth of local industries.
The call reinforces ongoing discussions about the need for strategic investments in Ghana’s agricultural sector to boost industrialization and reduce dependence on imported raw materials.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
