Bawjiase (The Ghanaian Times) -- The Ayensu Starch Company Limited (ASCO), a pilot scheme set up under the President’s Special Initiative (SPI) on cassava starch, is set to take off with the installation of ?24 billion modern state of the art processing equipment at the company’s factory site in the Central Region.

The equipment is expected in the country in September from Denmark. The project will be extended to other part of the country, President John Agyekum Kufuor announced on Wednesday night at a meeting with the chiefs and people of Awutu-Bawjiase in the Central Region.

This was after a tour of ASCO’s 500-acre cassava block farm at Gomoa Adzintem, to acquaint himself with the preparatory stages of the project. The company is owned by the farmers in it operational area and operated on their behalf by professional managers. The main task of ASCO is the cultivation of large-scale cassava and processing into industrial starch for export.

The project is being undertaken by 2,510 farmers in 236 communities in five districts-Wes Akim, Agona, Gomoa, Akwapim South, Awutu-Effuttu-Senya and Ga. The farmers have so far planted 3,269 acres. ASCO was formally launched by President Kufuor at Bawjiase in September last year.

Addressing the gathering, President Kufuor expressed satisfaction for the progress of work and commended the farmers for their hard work. The President assured them that the processing equipment would be installed on time to enable the entire project to take off as anticipated.

Welcoming President Kufuor, Nai Kweku Osardu II, Chief of Awutu Bawjiase, said that the chiefs and people of the area had embraced the project and were determined to make it succeed.

At the offices of ASCO, the Managing Director, Mr Andrew Evans-Quayson, briefed the President, saying the project was intended to bring rural communities in the operational area into mainstream economic activity.

He said that by the end of next year, ASCO through its farmer’s ownership scheme would establish 5,000 acres shareholder farms, 5,000-acre block farms for women and the youth and another 5,000 acres nucleus farms.

On starch exports, Mr Evans-Quayson said that 8,000 tonnes of starch would be produced in 2003 which would fetch the nation 1.6 million dollars, 17,000 tonnes in 2004 which would yield 3.4 million dollars and another 22,000 tonnes in 2005 which would also bring in 4.4 million dollars.

He said ASCO’s total fixed assets stood at 6.16 million dollars and also touched on the benefits to the project area such as the provision of roads, water, and electricity and telecommunication facilities for then people.