Two companies enter into partnership to process pineapples

Ekumfi-Essueshyia (C/R), June 20, GNA - Two food processing companies, one based in Accra and the other at Ekumfi-Essueshyia in the Central Region on Friday agreed in principle to form a partnership to process pineapple produced in the Central Region into fruit juice. The companies are N and M. NATAW Group of companies based in Accra and the Central Pineapple Processing Company, which was recently formed by a group of pineapple farmers in the Ekumfi Traditional Area with its headquarters at Ekumfi-Essushyia.

Mr. Nathaniel Azarco Welbeck Jnr., Executive Chairman of the NATAW Group of companies announced the deal at a general meeting with members of the Central Pineapple Processing Company at Ekumfi-Essueshyia to discuss issues in connection with the partnership deal.

Mr. Welbeck said initially his company, which was already in the pineapple processing business, would provide the Central Pineapple Processing Company a 200 million cedi financial package to be used as a revolving fund to encourage pineapple farmers who had bought shares to expand their farms.

He said besides the financial support his company had provided a small processing plant to enable the Central Pineapple Processing Company to start operation, while efforts were underway to secure a one million dollar machinery package from the US to boost the work of the factory.

According to Mr. Welbeck, an agreement would soon be signed to enable his company to channel money through the Ekumfiman Rural Bank for disbursement to qualified farmers.

Mr. Welbeck also announced plan to establish a computer training school at Essueshyia to train junior secondary school and senior secondary school students wishing to become computer literate.

Nana Akwansa VII, chief of Ekumfi-Kokodo and Chairman of the Central Pineapple Processing Company and some chiefs who attended the meeting, led Mr. Welbeck and his team to inspect facilities at an abandoned Copra Oil Factory, which they had planned to acquire for the new factory.