HTU Agro Enterprise Department to partner Caltech

Mr. Phanuel Klogo, Head of Agro-Enterprise Development Department of the Ho Technical University (HTU) has said the Department was considering a partnership with Caltech Ventures Limited, an agro-business company to empower graduates to support the raw material base of the company.

Caltech Ventures Limited is an agro-business that converts cassava into starch and ethanol for industrial consumption.

Mr Aklogo said such partnerships would give needed exposure to graduates of the University and position them for the agro sector and also help improve the productivity of Caltech.

Mr. Klogo said this when students of the Agro-Enterprise Development of the University visited Caltech Ventures Limited at Hodzo, near Ho as part of their industrial educational tour to familiarize themselves with the industry in the agricultural value chain.

He said it was important for graduates to have access to mechanized machinery because “the old age hoe and cutlass farming” method was deterring students from venturing into the agro business

Madam Kate Adu Baah, Executive Director, Caltech Ventures Limited said the Company was unable to fulfill its capacity of processing 70 tons of cassava daily due to inadequate raw material.

She said though the Company had 3000 acres of land to cultivate cassava, it was not able to meet the 70 tons per a day supply to the production unit due to various nursing stages of the crops.

Madam Adu Baah said the Company was therefore depending on small scale out grower farmers.

Some students who spoke to the Ghana News Agency expressed excitement at the opportunity to learn production on the field.