Komenda sugar factory could work in 12 months if gov’t is committed

• Posted on September 10, 2018
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

The Chief Executive Officer of Perrilines Ltd, a Cape Coast firm contracted to haul sugarcane for the Komenda Sugar Factory, Perry Mensah, has asked government to commit resources to the factory, saying that is the only way to revive the dormant factory.

He expressed optimism that if government shows commitment to the factory by pumping in the needed capital, especially for the growing of sugarcane, the $35 million factory can start producing sugar in twelve months.

“Everybody knows that what we need to bring back the factory is money; if we have money and we have done the farms or have given out-growers to do farms, within twelve months the factory will be working”, Mr Mensah explained.

Mr. Mensah, who currently has over 7,500 sugarcane out-growers in both the Central and Western Regions, says many farmers are on standby to supply sugarcane, and that though some of the machines at the factory may be damaging, technicians could still revive them.

In August 2017, sugarcane out-grower farmers in the Shama District of the Western Region, as well as those in the Komenda and Cape Coast areas in the Central Region, said their frustration about how their sugarcane plantations had become unprofitable due to the inactivity of the factory since it was opened in 2016.

Then in July this year, the factory began to harvest the overgrown sugarcane at its own nursery, and sold them to ‘akpeteshie’ distillers from different parts of the country because funds have not been available to transplant the then seedlings.

However, the CEO of Perrilines Ltd. told the media that getting the needed financial injection could help start the growing of the raw material which should be fully grown for harvesting to feed the factory in twelve months.

Asked if the deteriorating nature of some of the machines will not affect its operation, Mr. Mensah explained that only some maintenance will be required.

“If we want to use the machines, we would have to do flashing like within four days, and if there is any maintenance, we would have to do it, then the machines can start working”.

He added that although the Indian technicians from Seftech India Private Limited have returned to their home country, when the needed resuscitation of the factory starts, the Indians will come back, if they’re recalled to continue training their Ghanaian counterparts to be take full responsibility.