The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has signed three Memoranda of Understanding with SENTUO Group Limited to support agro-industrial development in Ghana.
The agreement, signed in Accra on Tuesday, covers the establishment of a cashew processing plant at Sampa in the Bono Region and a fertiliser manufacturing facility, aimed at improving value addition, boosting productivity in the agricultural sector and creating jobs, especially for young people.
As part of the deal, SENTUO Group will also set up 30 Farmer Service Centres across the country, which are expected to improve access to inputs, mechanisation services and technical support for farmers.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, said the partnership aligns with the government’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda, noting that the initiative reflects plans to expand processing and reduce the export of raw agricultural produce.
He explained that the cashew processing plant will handle both cashew nuts and apples to increase returns across the value chain.
“We are ready to industrialise Ghana’s agriculture. We believe that without manufacturing, value addition, agriculture would continue to be an activity that would not yield the expected income. We are moving from exporting raw commodities to building a value-driven agro-industrial economy,” he said.
The Chairman of SENTUO Group Limited, Xu Mingjuan, said the company remains committed to supporting Ghana’s development plans, adding that the government’s 24-hour economy policy has influenced the company’s decision to expand its investments.
He said engineers have already begun preliminary work on the projects and expressed confidence in Ghana’s investment climate.
SENTUO Group Limited has operated in Ghana for nearly 20 years and is also active in the oil refinery sector.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
