The Kintampo South District of Bono-Ahafo has so many potentials that it may fall into a dilemma when government sets out to start one of the district enterprises there.
Cashew and Ginger top the list of targeted produce to add value to. Whereas the assembly authorities are eyeing cashew processing, a section of the community wants a ginger processing plant instead.
Roving reporter Kwame Anum tells the story in the latest edition of his District Enterprise Watch project.
Kintampo, the capital, is a well-zoned-out community – with the green vegetation, small and medium farms dotting the whole Kintampo South District.
Job potentials in farming and agro-based industries physically abound here.
Resident population is said to be inching towards the 100,000 mark.
As the name suggests, Kintampo South is twin town to Kintampo North; both home to the growing of hundreds of thousands of yams, cassava, mangos and gingers.
Jema, Ntakro, Amantem, Ampoma, Kwabia and Kwabonso are some of the Kintampo South District towns; many of them with their comparative advantage in producing one or two crops.
Aside from farming which is predominant here, some residents – mostly youth – are commercial drivers or petty traders. And, the area is also blessed with lots of tourist sites that can further rake revenue into the local and national coffers.
Whereas it cannot be gainsaid that Kintampo South stands to benefit from an agro-based industry as its share of the national policy of One-District, One-Factory; the real difficulty is: What type of agro-based industry? The people who live in the urban centres admit that a cashew processing plant is a potential.
However, they would have to compete with neighbouring Tain District, which also does large-scale cashew growing, for the siting of the processor. There are such other towns as Anyima and Kwabonso that grow lots of ginger.
In such communities; women, men and children do ginger farming as mainstay. So, they are rather advocating for ginger processing.
A company called Gitimo Ghana Limited had, on seeing the troubles of these ginger farmers, established this cutting and drying plant, to help farmers control post-harvest loses.
In spite of that, the people still desire to add value to their produce.
What infrastructure is already in place at Kintampo South to facilitate the establishment of a cashew or ginger processing plant?
The capital is connected to the national electricity grid; but, its roads are un-tarred and rugged, just as it lacks spacious market centres.
