Central Oil Mills, an oil palm processing factory at Jukwa Mfuom in the Central Region, has formally inaugurated its Board of Technical Advisors to assist the company to achieve set goals.
The Board members are Professor Ernest Ekow Abano, Food Scientist, University of Cape Coast, Agriculture Engineering Department, Mr Ebenezer Odei Addo, Mechanical Engineer and Quality Assurance Expert, Mr Richard Ekow Annobil, Human Resource, Agriculture and Oil Palm Specialist.
A statement from the Central Oil Mills and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday said with support from the Ghana EXIM Bank, under the President’s IDIF initiative, the company was geared towards expansion.
Mr Aaron Sagoe, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, at the inauguration of the Board, said the 1D1F support had helped immensely with the expansion programme.
These include the building of a new ultra-modern factory sited at Jukwa Ansamaso purposely for fresh palm fruit processing and bottling, acquisition of new machinery to increase production capacity and value addition, onsite laboratories, tractors, trucks and storage tanks.
Mr Sagoe said apart from providing job opportunities and source of livelihood for the inhabitants, they had also acquired more farms in other adjoining districts to process the fruit, increase production, and minimise post-harvest losses.
He thanked the advisors for their willingness to impart skills and rich experiences to support the vision of the company.
Prof Abano, on behalf of the advisors, cautioned the public to avoid consuming palm oil with extra red colour as it had been adulterated with Sundan IV (popularly known as suudee), an unwholesome chemical harmful to the body.
He said his Department had been working closely with the company since its inception and expressed delight to continue working with it even as the it ventured into other value-addition activities.
He suggested that government considered investing more into oil palm production by setting up research boards and schools to add value to the industry.
GNA
