GHANA NUTS ACQQUIRES HARVESTER TO BOOST SOYA PRODUCTION (PAGE 47, OCT 26)

Ghana Nuts Limited (GNL), a private agro-processing company based in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, has taken delivery of three combine harvesters to encourage about 6,000 soya bean outgrowers in the Brong Ahafo and Northern regions to increase their production.
The Chinese-made equipment, which cost the company $80,000, have an engine capacity of 73 horse power each and are able to harvest two metric tonnes of soya bean an hour.
The importation of the machines will, therefore, encourage the farmers in the two regions to expand their farms from the current one acre per head to about five acres, since they will have no harvesting problems.
The Deputy Managing Director of GNL, Mr Prince Obeng Asante, who took newsmen to inspect the harvesters on the company’s premises in Techiman, later told the Daily Graphic that the harvesting of soya bean had been a very big challenge to farmers, noting that it was the first time in the history of soya bean cultivation in the country that combine harvesters would be used to harvest the legume.
According to him, the company started the processing and export of soya been oil and other commodities about three years ago with its 100 metric tonne processing plant but due to the growth in market penetration of its products, management decided to instal another 200 metric tonne plant in June this year.
He said with the current total capacity of 300 metric tonnes, the company needed about 3,000 maxi cocoa sacks of soya bean a day to feed the plant, hence the decision to support the farmers in the two regions to cultivate more soya bean for sale to the company.
Mr Asante pointed out that in order to encourage farmers to expand their operations, the company decided to bring in the combine harvesters and locally manufactured soya bean shellers to boost production.
“The dream of the company is to put about $30 million in the pockets of farmers through the cultivation of soya beans and also enhance the health status of the average Ghanaian through the production of high quality soya cooking oil,” the deputy managing director said.
According to him, healthy living went with healthy eating and for the company’s products the message was simply “love your heart”.