Tema, March 14, GNA - The Tema branch of the Gratis Foundation has announced strides in the manufacturing of food processing machines for palm fruits and its residue.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at the weekend in Tema, Mrs Caroline Tsitaka, Marketing Manager of the Foundation said about 200 sets of cassava processing machines have been manufactured for the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs for distribution to income generating groups nationwide.

She said 184 solid waste containers had also been manufactured for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for supply to the district assemblies.

Mrs Tsikata said GRATIS had also manufactured products like kerosene tanks and accessories, corn mills, sheabutter/groundnut oil extraction machines, litter bins and gari processing machines. She said the products were been marketed beyond the frontiers of Ghana, including Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Foundation was established in 1987 by the government with support from the European Union and the Canadian International Development Agency to promote small-scale industrialisation in Ghana. It aims at becoming a reputable technology development and skills transfer unit in Africa with focus on agriculture/agro processing, environment and sanitation equipment.