Business News of Friday, 15 March 2013
Source: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline
SADA exports ‘butternut squash’ to UK
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) has begun exporting butter nut squash for foreign exchange.
In collaboration with a private company called PlusOne Investment Limited, the first consignment of a two forty-footer container of the products is being exported to Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
In view of the high demand during winter in Europe, SADA is expected to export one forty-footer container of sheabutter products every week to Europe.
This is estimated to yield ten thousand pounds per each transaction.
Speaking to Citi News, the SADA Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Gilbert Seidu Iddi explained, “We realized that the main economic activities are normally in the dry season so we decided to make the seven month idle period of the year economically viable hence the decision to cultivate large acres of the shea fruit.”
He said a visit to Birmingham to woo potential investors to support SADA programmes informed his authority’s decision to move into that sector in collaboration with PlusOne Investment Limited.”
Alhaji Iddi promised that proceeds from the venture will be used to implement more of SADA’s pro poor programmes.
“Poverty is endemic and it is not only at one location and so in order to be able to enhance equity we are targeting the issue of addressing poverty across the whole SADA zone.”
Project Coordinator of PlusOne Investment Limited, Mr. Dan Ahmed Saaka assured farmers who have been engaged on the farms that their interest will be catered for.
He said the project cultivated a total of 246 acres of farm lands for the butter nut in the three regions.
He gave the assurance that in collaboration with SADA, his outfit would design the best methodology to ensure that the interest of the poor farmer would be addressed properly.
The project has engaged the services of farmers at Buipe, the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
