Ayensu Starch Company commissioned

Ayensu Starch Company (ASCO), the first project under the President's Special Initiatives to produce industrial starch from cassava for export, was commissioned at Awutu-Bawjiase in the Awutu-Efutu-Senya District in the Central Region on Friday.

The Company owned by 2,500 farmers from five districts would cultivate 5,000 acres of cassava to be managed by a Board of Directors.

It was named after river Ayensu, which passes through the districts to the sea. They are West Akim, Agona, Gomoa, Awutu-Efutu-Senya and Ga Districts.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, who presented the certificate of incorporation and certificate to commence business to the Directors at the ceremony, said the project would create employment in the selected districts, generate sustainable income and promote the growth of small satellite business with links to ASCO.

He said the project was another step in achieving the government's goal of improving the quality of life of Ghanaians through the two-pronged approach of fighting poverty by creating wealth and supporting the private sector to flourish.

President Kufuor said it would bring together all the factors that should work to make the economy grow, because it is driven by the private sector, utilises the know-how of high-calibre professional personnel and would help integrate rural communities into the mainstream economy.

President Kufuor said the five districts were selected based on an objective assessment of their potential in cassava production. Nine other districts with equally high potential for cassava production have been identified.

He said they would be assisted within the next few months to start the process of establishing other companies for starch production and 25,000 farmers would be involved in the project nation-wide.

President Kufuor said the new farmer-ownership scheme called the Corporate Village Enterprise (COVE), which has been specially evolved to operate the project, would in addition serve as a training ground for the acquisition of skills by the rural youth.

Nai Otwoo Adawu Darko Tetteh, Chief of Odupong Ofankor, on behalf of the chiefs said the project would provide investment and employment to the district, which is one of the most deprived in the country.

He said their major problems are lack of educational facilities especially second-cycle institutions, health and sanitation problems and lack of basic amenities and stool boundary disputes.

Nai Tetteh therefore appealed to the people to avoid disputes over land within the project area to make it succeed and improve their standard of living.

He appealed to government for a separate district for the people of Awutu and said about eight acres of land has already been acquired for the construction of the district assembly and offices for the decentralised departments as well as accommodation for the staff.

The seven-member Board of Directors is under the chairmanship of Nai Kwaku Osardu II, Chief of Awutu-Bawjiase.

The other members are Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Economic Planning and Regional Co-operation and Mr Patrick Nimo.

The rest are Mr Samuel Kontoh Dodd, Miss Juliana Annan, Miss Elizabeth Kudeka and Mr Osei Owusu Agyeman, who is the Managing Director.