Deputy Minister-Designate for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Sampson Ahi has said that the Mahama administration is focused on adding value to the agricultural produce.
He says it is only through value addition that the produce will be made marketable locally and internationally.
“Over the years, we have been producing cocoa but we don’t add value to cocoa. I will be happy to see that by the end of my tenure, we’d have a company to process cocoa beans,” he said during his vetting on Monday, February 24.
He added “The president is putting much attention on agribusiness; it is an attempt to add value to agricultural produce to make them marketable locally and internationally.”
Mr Ahi further emphasised the importance of industrialisation in driving economic growth and job creation, particularly in Agric enclaves.
“As captured in the NDC manifesto, we will embark on industralisation. I will be happy to see that by the end of my tenure, we will have a cocoa processing company so that we will have cocoa beans processed.
“I will also look at other areas where they have a competitive advantage with regards to farm produce so that many factories can be established for many of the farm produce to be processed,” he stated.
