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Cassava clusters in Mampong and Ejura strengthen community livelihoods and improve farmers’ income
Janet Gyimah-Kessie did not plan to become an agro-processor. After discovering cassava spoils easily after harvest, she started exchanging with a friend how to process her harvest into gari, a cassava product with a much longer shelf-life.
Her discovery encouraged other farmers in the communities to supply her with cassava to be processed for the local market. This strongly contributed to the growth of her start-up business in cassava processing in 2004.
Today, Josma Agro Industries grows about 70% of the fresh cassava it uses on its acquired land, while the rest is sourced from other smallholder farmers in Mampong Ashanti and its environs.
Despite the progress in business, the company was still facing challenges with producing to meet quality requirements to export to the European and other international markets.
Janet explained how with the knowledge acquired through WACOMP - Ghana, the company and its cluster groups changed their handling of cassava from the farm to the processing factory, helping them to improve their product quality and production capacity.
“Some common practices in the drying of cassava affected the quality processing of cassava. We were not aware that by drying cassava chips on the ground we were causing contamination and delays in the process. UNIDO dedicated their resources to training my team and my cluster members on Standard Operating Procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Hygiene Practices and our production improved very fast”
Working in coordination with four out-grower associations: Atonsuagya Cassava Farmers Association, Woraso Out growers Association, Woraso Adom Co-Operative, and Sekruwa Out growers Association, the company is now contributing to the increased availability of improved and disease-resistant varieties of cassava.
“ I had received support from other programmes targeting agro-processing businesses in the past, but when I started working with UNIDO, the WACOMP cassava value chain team shared all the technical knowledge and practices to multiply and distribute improved cassava planting materials (seeds) to smallholder cassava farmers as a way of increasing production of good quality cassava for consumption,” says Gyima Kessie.
UNIDO intervention, funded by the European Union, focused on enhancing the capacity of Josma Agro Industries and its out-grower cluster groups. The technical assistance provided included:
- Training of 76 participants within Atonsuagya, Sekruwa and Woraso clusters in Asante Mampong Municipality in compost preparation to improve yield and reduce reliance on inputs.
- Developing and fabricating mechanical cassava harvester for the company and cluster to aid harvesting, particularly in the dry season.
- Construction of solar drying infrastructure to dry cassava chips and Konkonte for both processors and the semi processors alongside the donation of a pressing machine, grating machine, and pulverizer. This increased Josma’s production capacity from 15 tons of gari a month to 30 tons.
Liberia Delegation from CASTRAP inspecting some of the fabricated cassava machines by UNIDO at the JOSMA Agro Industries during a South South cooperation tour in WACOMP - Ghana beneficiary centres from February 5th to 9th, 2024
Following UNIDO’s intervention, 51% of the farmers have adopted and applied organic fertilizer from the training on compost preparation. This has reduced the cost of production by up to 30%, as farmers no longer rely on chemical fertilizers to increase their yields and their cassava chips are now dried in a hygienic regulated environment.
Improved Community Livelihood and Production Capacity:
Janet Gyimah Kessie further highlighted: “ The solar dryer constructed with WACOMP – Ghana’s support improved the duration and quality of the dried products. It also contributed positively to reducing mould spoilage and sand contamination. Within 5 days, we can now process cassava flour in higher quantity and our gari production capacity has been increased from 180 MT to 360 MT per annum. As a result, we have just engaged three new employees as the workload has increased.”
Thanks to UNIDO, Josma Agro Industries has also reached a supply-purchase agreement with Procus Ghana Limited and Blumax Ghana Limited. We engaged to supply 5 tons of gari every month, making many more farmers in the Asante-Mampong and Ejura communities earn extra income as out-growers for the company.
“Since I started working with Josma Agro Industries as an out-grower, I have gained knowledge in using cassava peels as organic manure. The training and support received under WACOMP – Ghana through Josma helped increase my farm yield and income to complete my own house and educate my children. I have also received training in the use of cassava flour to make snacks such as doughnuts and diversify my production besides the traditional use of Kokonte and cassava dough,”
Outgrower farmers in the Mampong and Ejura Communities posed for a group photo in appreciation to UNIDO and EU support
Mrs. Janet Gyimah-Kessie (middle) flanked by UNIDO WACOMP - Ghana and WACOMP Liberia CASTRAP delegation during a tour at her factory on a South South Cooperation tour in February,2024
Mr. Joseph Yeboah (2nd left),WACOMP - Ghana Cassava Cluster Networks Expert explaining how the simple Solar Dryer was constructed for JOSMA during a tour with WACOMP CASTRAP Liberia Delegation to the factory
JOSMA Cassava products on display at Cluster International Conference exhibition in Accra
