World Vision Ghana, an international NGO, has constructed a GH¢75,000 gari processing plant at Agyina in the Kintampo South District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The facility, funded by the Canadian government through Global Affairs of Canada, is to enable the people in the predominantly cassava growing community to add value to their produce and reduce post-harvest losses.

Mr Maxwell Amedi, the Northern Regional Operations Manager of World Vision Ghana, explained that the facility was in line with his NGO’s Systems Approach to Improve and Sustain Food Security (SATISFY) project being implemented in the area.

The SATISFY project has been implemented in the Kintampo South District over the past five years aimed at helping to improve on the general wellbeing of especially women with regards to household food security and resilience.

It had so far worked with the Business Advisory Centre (BAC) of the District Assembly to train more than 4,500 people from the communities in income generating activities such as mushroom production, bee keeping, animal rearing and gari processing, to diversify their income portfolio to better their lots.

Mr Amedi said the project had also trained more than 206 self-sustaining saving groups in various communities in the District with a total membership of over 5,000 men and women.

He explained that the groups had been able to raise GH¢1,152,008 and provided collateral – free loans – amounting to GH¢775,912 to members to engage in productive ventures such as trading and farming.

Mr Amedi expressed appreciation to the Assembly and the BAC as well as the Department of Agriculture for supporting the project, which had improved on the living conditions of the local people.

Mr Daniel Nnebini, the Kintampo South District Planning Officer, commended World Vision Ghana for the facility and urged the local farmers to increase cassava production to feed the plant.

He said the BAC was ready to offer the farmers any technical advice to enable them improve upon their farming activities.

Mr Nnebini said the Assembly was seeking grant from the European Union (EU) to build the capacity of the farmers.

Nana Adu Baffoe Adade II, the Chief of Agyina, thanked world vision and the Canadian government for the support.

He said the contributions of world vision to the development of the community was highly appreciable, adding that three boreholes and six-seater toilet constructed by the NGO in the area, had alleviated the plight of the people.