Accra, March 10, GNA - Dr Joseph Annan, the Deputy Minister of Trade, on Thursday said the Ayensu Starch Company would restart production within the second quarter of 2011.

The factory, which started production in 2003, stopped operating in 2006 mainly because the factory did not own any cassava farm to serve as raw material as well as power outages. The minister, who was speaking during question time in parliament in Accra, said the Ministry, since 2009, had taken steps to reactivate the company.

He said the Ministry had worked with farmers' groups in the area to encourage them to grow cassava for the factory. The Ministry is also preparing to replace some of the equipment and is carrying out maintenance work on some after which there would be a test run.