Kpone: Olam Agri Ghana has inaugurated a US$40 million pasta manufacturing facility in the Greater Accra Region, marking a significant step towards reducing Ghana's dependency on imported pasta by up to 40%. The facility, located in Kpone, was officially opened by President John Dramani Mahama as part of broader efforts to boost industrialisation, promote import substitution, and enhance food security in the country.
According to Ghana News Agency, Sunny George Verghese, Group Chief Executive Officer of Olam Agri, highlighted Ghana's strategic importance to the company's African operations during the inauguration. He noted that Ghana was the second market the company entered after Nigeria and emphasized the importance of producing food, feed, and fibre sustainably to meet the needs of a growing population.
Verghese identified significant challenges facing global agriculture, such as a 7.5 trillion calorie per day demand gap, loss of biodiversity, and the need to improve farmers' livelihoods. He called for stronger collaboration between public and private sectors to tackle these issues. He also praised Ghana's advancements in wheat production, which could play a pivotal role in addressing Africa's food security demands.
Neelamani Muthukumar, Chief Finance Officer of Olam Agri Ghana, shared that the newly completed plant, which took 18 months to build, has the capacity to produce 60,000 metric tonnes of pasta annually, covering nearly half of Ghana's domestic pasta demand. This development aims to cater to 40% of the country's pasta needs, using world-class machinery that meets international standards.
Muthukumar noted that the project has generated 300 direct jobs and approximately 1,000 indirect employment opportunities in the Tema industrial corridor. He emphasized that with government support and private sector innovation, Ghana is set to redefine its food security and industrialisation landscape.
Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry Minister, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, hailed the facility as a milestone in Ghana's industrialisation journey. She asserted that local production would reduce imports and potentially position Ghana as a pasta exporter within the sub-region. Ofosu-Adjare urged Olam Agri to ensure that locally produced pasta remains affordable for consumers, stressing that local manufacturing should benefit ordinary families beyond corporate profits.
The minister also encouraged Olam Agri to collaborate with Ghanaian crop research institutions to develop locally suitable wheat varieties, supporting the Government's 'Feed the Industry' programme aimed at using locally produced raw materials in industries.