USAID inaugurates export-oriented fruit processing facility at Nsawam
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Ghana, in collaboration with Pure and Just Company Limited, a Ghanaian dry fruit processing company, has inaugurated a new facility at Nsawam in the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Municipality of the Eastern Region.
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The factory, inaugurated last Thursday, is part of the US government’s investment of US$440,480 (over GH¢7 million) through USAID in the dried fruits production to boost trade and create jobs for young people and women in the country.
The facility is expected to help expand the processing capacity of Pure and Just Limited, which transforms fresh fruits, such as mango, papaya (pawpaw), pineapple and banana, into all-natural dried products through climate-smart agro-processing for local consumption and export.
It aims at facilitating rural-urban businesses by linking rural farm produce to local and foreign retail opportunities through agro-processing, enabling employment opportunities for young adults and women.
The expanded facility, which started in November last year, was built under the USAID-supported Feed the Future Africa Trade and Investment Activity. It is equipped with advanced fruit-drying machines that can process six tonnes of fresh fruits daily – an upgrade from the previous one tonne per day.
It has the potential to process 144 tonnes of fresh fruits a year, generate GH¢28 million in annual revenue, create 60 to 80 new jobs and provide economic opportunities for up to 1,500 farmers (55 per cent female), who will be identified to work as producers of fresh pineapple, supplying directly to Pure and Just or through aggregators.
Investment
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the acting Missions Director of Ghana USAID, Grace Lang, said the investment was an effort by the US government to boost agricultural productivity, increase local ownership and strengthen businesses across the country.
She noted that “Pure and Just is a shining example of how such investments unlock Ghana’s economic and agricultural potential. This facility represents more than just an investment in infrastructure; it embodies a commitment to innovation, quality and the future of Ghana’s agro-processing sector”.
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Ms Lang added that the completion of the facility had seen Pure and Just Limited expand its workforce from 24 to 73 employees, and also increased the number of farmer suppliers from 100 to more than 400 farmers.
Commendation, appreciation
Ms Lang commended stakeholders in the agricultural value chain. She urged them to maintain their dedication to ensuring food security and supporting the country’s economic development, reaffirming that the facility would spearhead a transformation in the agricultural sector.
For her part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pure and Just Company Limited, Yvette Tetteh, described the new facility as a “big breakthrough” for the company to own now a processing facility capable of serving the local market and achieving its goal of taking a real world-class Ghanaian product onto the international stage to harness the revenues and funding needed to be able to do more good work.