Navrongo (UER), Jan. 08, GNA – A Holland based NGO, NEWCO AP, has established a branch at Navrongo in the Kassena Nankana District (KND) to produce fish for export and local consumption.
The Managing Director, Mr Peter Schaffers, told the Ghana News Agency at Navrongo that the NGO decided to invest in the northern part of the country due to the vast land and existing facilities for fish production at the Tono and Vea dams in the Upper East Region.
He said it had invested an initial capital of 600 million cedis in the project for tilapia and catfish production at the Tono dam site. Mr Schaffers said the investment would be increase to about 1.6 Billion cedis this year to develop out-grower fish production units to assist farmers in the northern parts of Ghana to improve their income levels and living conditions.
He said the project would be extended to small-scale dams in the three regions in the northern part of Ghana.
The organisation established a training centre last year to train farmers and other experts in tilapia production using fingerlings it had developed.
It had developed a tilapia hybrid and feed combination suited for the local tilapia.
Mr Schaffers said the NGO financed by the top Insurance Brokers in Europe was among the first foreign private investors in the Upper East Region, adding that, it has an aqua culture expert.
Mr Pele Abuga, MP for Chiana/Paga, is the Chairman and Advisor of the organisation and the brain behind its establishment in the northern sector of the country.
The MP told the GNA that the project would help boost the economy and called on other businessmen concerns to invest in the area, “Because there is a lot of investment opportunities there”.
About 70 youth are now employed, he said adding that, it would increase to more than 300 when the project was fully operational at both Tono and Vea.
Source: GhanaWeb
