Minister of Trades and Industry Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen was conspicuously missing at a sod-cutting ceremony on Friday for the setting up of a pineapple factory in Ekumfi in the Central Region.

The ceremony was to mark the launch of government’s flagship industrialisation programme – One-District, One-Factory (1D1F).

The pineapple factory is expected to be ready for production in June, 2018. There were numerous government functionaries at the ceremony.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led the team of government functionaries to cut the sod for the start of work on the factory.

But the minister with overall responsibility for the project, Mr Kyerematen, was absent.

No reason was given for his inability to attend the all-important ceremony though President Akufo-Addo bemoaned his absence and acknowledged his efforts in seeing the start of the programme.

The president also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Afriyie Osei Akoto, as well as the Local Government Minister for their efforts.

He also commended the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) for their contributions to the policy, which is expected to see at least one factory in each district of Ghana.

Chief Executive Officer of the ‘One-District, One-Factory’ programme Gifty Ohene Konadu said 216 factories will be set by the end of President Akufo-Addo’s first term in office.

But for starters, 3news.com has been told, 51 factories will be commissioned by the end of 2017.