Yedent Agro Group of Companies, an agro-food processing firm, has launched a new product, to control malnutrition among children in the country.

According to the company, “kidifeed, ” a cereal-based complimentary feed, high in vitamins and minerals, is not a replacement of breast milk, but a supplement to make children between six and 24 months healthier.

Mr Justice Samuel Adjei, Deputy Brong-Ahafo Regional Minister, who launched the product at the company's processing plant in Sunyani, said agro-processing played a strategic role in pro-poor growth strategies, particularly in developing countries where about 75 percent of the poor lived in rural areas.

He observed that the economic prosperity of rural farmers in particular was achievable only with an effective integration and synergy between agriculture and agro-based industries.

Mr Adjei stressed the need for the country to reverse its dependence on exporting primary agricultural products and raw materials, and rather embrace industrialization and modern Agriculture.

Adding value to Agriculture produce, the Regional Minister noted, was a logical way to stem the decline in farm income, by processing raw materials, and branding them before sending them onto the market.

Mr Adjei appealed to Managements of factories and financial institutions to make credit facilities available to farmers to expand and cultivate more raw materials for factories.

He entreated Ghanaians to develop taste for locally-made products, so as to help transform the economy.

This, Mr Adjei observed, would not only strengthen and stabilize the local currency, but reduce imports and create employment for the idle youth.

Mr Samuel Kwame Ntim-Adu, Chief Executive Officer of Yedent, noted that though Ghana was making significant gains in the fight against malnutrition, 32 percent of children in the country remained malnourished.

He observed that the upbringing and development of malnourished children had critical mental devastation on the country, and said that was the more reason why all stakeholders, including nursing and pregnant mothers, ought to ensure that children were provided with nutritious meals.

Nana Ama Ntim-Adu, Board Member of Yedent, emphasized that the company would continue to contribute in generating revenue to the country by honouring promptly its tax obligations.

She disclosed that the company's operational activities had attracted foreign attention from Japan, the United States of America, and other parts of Europe.