Government has approved an amount of $200,000.00 for the construction of a plantain processing factory at Agogo in the Asante Akim North District.

The project, which is part of the one district one factory initiative, is to help provide a ready market for plantain farmers in order to reduce post-harvest losses, which had been a major challenge for farmers in the area.

Francis Oti Boateng, District Chief Executive (DCE), who announced this, said the factory which would process plantain into flour and other by-products for local consumption and export, would also help create jobs and open up the district for further investments.

Asante Akim North has been the major producer of plantain and currently exports the product to the neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo.

Oti Boateng was interacting with three nominees from the District who won national and regional awards in this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration.

They were Dr Edward Asadu, National Best Agro-chemicals Dealer, Nana Akua Konama, National Best Female Farmer and Nana Asadu Kukurubuo, Ashanti Regional first runner-up.

Mr Oti Boateng said the government was committed to strengthening agricultural production to provide a solid base for industrialization to transform the country’s economy.

He said the assembly had distributed over 60,000 bags of fertilizer to about 10,000 farmers, while 80,000 cashew and coconut seedlings had been distributed to more than 150,000 farmers for planting.

A total of 21,000 seedlings of different vegetable species had also been distributed to farmers for planting in the District.

Mr Oti Boateng commended the awardees for bringing honour to the chiefs and people of the District and urged farmers in the area to continue to work hard to increase food production.