USIBRAS Ghana Ltd Hands Over Cashew Processing Equipment to the Association of Cashew Processors Ghana (ACPG)

On Thursday, 15th November 2018, stakeholders in the cashew sector witnessed the handing over ceremony of cashew processing equipment to the Association of Cashew Processors Ghana (ACPG) by the Brazilian owned Cashew processing company USIBRAS Ghana Limited.  The ceremony took place at the premises of USIBRAS Ghana Limited in Prampram, Accra from 9:30 am to 11:00 am.       

USIBRAS Ghana Limited is the biggest cashew processing company in West Africa, with an installed processing capacity of 30,000 metric tons per year for raw cashew nut processing and with potential employment opportunities for about 2000 people. This handing over ceremony comes after the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) solicited for support from USIBRAS towards revamping local processing in Ghana.

The Association of Cashew Processors Ghana (ACPG), was created to formalize the cooperation of cashew processors in Ghana in a quest to revamp and transform the cashew processing industry. They represent the value addition segment in the cashew value chain where there is great potential for job creation and income generation.

With the core aim of providing cashew processors of nuts, shells and apples, the possibility to advocate for their business interests with one united voice, ACPG wishes to change the status of the cashew processing industry in Ghana by increasing processing volumes of locally sourced raw cashew nuts (RCN) from 7,000 MT to 50,000 MT and by this means growing the utilization of installed processing capacities from less than 10 % to 75 % until 2023. As a result, local processors will create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the cashew sector.

The handing over of equipment by USIBRAS Ghana comes at a very decisive time as some members of the association are receiving training and technical support to be able to successfully evaluate and purchase appropriate processing technologies, develop business models to advance their business strategies to increase efficiency and to reduce processing costs, food safety aspects, as well as, advocacy trainings to engage in a policy dialogue for the creation and implementation of a policy framework towards private sector development and to inform financial institutions and banks about the potentials, opportunities and risks of investing into the cashew processing industry.

These trainings are facilitated by the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) and the GIZ/Competitive Cashew initiative (ComCahsew) through a co-financing with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) under its Ghana Private Sector Competitiveness Program (GPSCP).

The African Cashew Alliance (ACA) is thankful for the support to the cashew processing industry in Ghana, as this is one of its key objectives as an industry Alliance.

 

 

For more information on the Association and the event please contact: Nii Smith, ACPG President – 0208151225 niismith@winkerghana.com