The Member of Parliament for Achiase in the Eastern Region, Robert Kwasi Amoah has established a palm oil factory meant to give 1,000 direct and indirect jobs to the people in his constituency.

His initiative is to support the government’s policy of “One District, One Factory” which is aimed at giving employment and reducing poverty in the rural areas.

The factory which will process palm fruit into palm oil is expected to start work latest by the end of June, this year.

As part of his efforts to have sustainable supply of palm fruit to feed the factory, the MP has also launched a project of supplying improved palm oil seedlings and fertilizer to farmers in the constituency free of charge and also supports them to expand their farms.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative at Akim Achiase, the MP noted that though the seedlings given out to the farmers will start bearing fruits in three years time, the factory will start operating in June and will depend on palm fruits from farmers in and out of the district who already have palm plantations for supply of palm fruits to feed the factory.

He said about 150,000 improved seedlings are ready to be supplied to 400,000 registered farmers in the constituency.

The MP advised his people, especially the youth, to take interest in the initiative and get involved to start oil palm plantation since it is very lucrative.

“A two-acre oil palm farm will earn you a lot of money and get you out of your poverty for life since the life span of the oil palm is over 20 years,” he said

The Director in charge of Logistics and Value Chain at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Paapa Bartels, who represented the Minister for Trade and Industry, said the government is putting measures in place to empower small and medium-scale enterprises.

He said the government is also reviving existing but struggling factories and also establishing industrial parks across the country to speed up the country’s industrialisation drive.

He commended the Achiase MP for taking the initiative in support of the government’s efforts to industrialise the country.