Ayensu cassava farmers to manage starch factory

The Ayensu Cassava Farmers Association (ACFA) has appealed to the Government to transform the Ayensu Cassava Starch Factory into a farmer-owned business as originally planned.

The farmers made the appeal at a day’s seminar organised by the Association for it members at Agona Swedru.

It was supported by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.

Over 60 members from West Akim, Gomoa, Agona, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Suhun-Kraboa-Coalter, Awutu-Senya and Akuapim South districts attended the seminar.

The seminar was to inform members of the intension of the Association to own the factory as was originally decided by the then government when it was established in 2002.

Mr Samuel Dodd, Chairman of ACFA, said the Association was advocating for the transformation of the starch factory for the growers to control it.

The chairman said the establishment of the factory was to enable the farmers to remain in business.

Mr Dodd expressed regret over the periodic suspension of the factory as a result of break down.

According to him, since 2003 the factory had been shut down twice, leading to raw cassava getting rotten on the farms.

He said financial institutions who granted loans to the farmers were taking legal action against them for non-payment of the loan.

He, therefore, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, transform the factory and hand it over to them to manage.

Mr Kwesi Adoom from BUSAC, who was the facilitator, took participants through the topic “Advocacy for the Transformation of Ayensu Starch Company in a Farmer-owned Business”.