The largest vegetable farm in West Africa, Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited at Tadzewu in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region will employ 400 permanent workers early next year to meet growing demands for its produce from the export and local markets.
The 1,900-hectare estate produces okra, tomato, pepper, chilli, cucumber, various Asian vegetables, cucumber and sweet potato bountifully from both the open field and 40 greenhouse units.
Presently, it has 56 permanent workers and engages an average of 100 casual workers daily.
Mr Felix Yao M. Kamassah, Chief Executive Officer of Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited, told the Ghanaian Times on Friday that the venture which took off in 2013 on a humble note with five workers to cultivate vegetables continued to expand rapidly.
Subsequently, he said that the trust was now set to build a potato processing factory and pack-house for vegetables, on the farm.
The facility which is scheduled to be completed in January next year would also have a cold room, storage facilities and laboratory among other units, said Mr Kamassah.
For now, the farm has eight boreholes and two power plants for its operations.
“But now, we need light from the national grid as well, and there is also the need to put into a better shape the one-kilometre access road between the ECOWAS Highway and the farm to help our expansion plans,” said the CEO.
He said that the domestic customers of the farm included the Roman Catholic Church, malls in Accra and individuals.
Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited supplied vegetables to markets in Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and France, added Mr Kamassah.
The farm produced 2, 077 tonnes of vegetables in 2020 and has already increased that output to 2, 825 tonnes this year.
According to Mr Kamassah, the farm had a lucrative market in Togo as well but the closure of the border was now affecting business adversely with its clients from that country.
Mr Kamassah who is also President of Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana announced plans by the Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited to venture into avocado production next year.
He touched on diversification and said that the farm processed sweet potato gari which was fortified with cassava.
“It is also our plan to involve as many women as possible in commercial farming,” Mr Kamassah added.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, TADZEWU
