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Investment opporunities
Investment are required in the establishment of large capacity oil mills in other rich oil palm growing districts of the region.
Improved soap manufacturing industries to take advantage of the raw material base in the rich oil palm growing districts is required.
Investments are required for medium and large-scale modern cassava processing industries in the major growing areas to process raw cassava into chips, flour, gari etc. for the local and export market.
Did you know that Africa currently has markets which are safe and inexpensive to trade in? Did you also know that Ghana is a top selling market now serving as the Gateway to other parts of West Africa?
The relocation of the regional headquarters of Barclays and Standard Chartered Banks to Accra, Ghana, demonstrates the confidence of the international financial system in the Ghana market. Apart from providing political leadership in the West African sub-region, BUSINESS in Ghana is upbeat.
Ghana's natural endowment is phenomenal, providing basic raw materials for industry. At present, Ghana provides one of the best investment environments, with long tax holidays, duty free entitlements, immigrants quota, low capital requirement and free transferability of profits, dividends and related income.
Investors are invited to explore the possibility of investing in some of the agricultural and other business activities which follow.
Medicinal Plants
Information available indicates that there is high demand for medicinal plants from Ghana. Scientific information available indicates most parts of Ghana are suitable for the cultivation of various medicinal plants. Particularly, cola nitida locally known as "Bese", Alchornea Cordifolia (Ogyama), Griffonia Simplicifolia (Kagya), are high in demand by both international and local pharmaceutical firms.
Establishment of Pharmaceutical Firm and Herbal based-medicine are available for investment.
Processing Of Plantain/Yams/Raw Cassava Into Industrial And Pharmaceutical Starch
Current annual production of cassava is about over 6 million metric tonnes. Production could easily be increased to over 10 million metric tonnes provided producers can find a market since as much as 10% of current production gets rotten for lack of market. About 85% of production is eaten as food with the remaining being processed into dry chips for export and 'gari' for local consumption. Cassava grows well in 8 of the 10 regions of Ghana.
Local consumption of industrial and pharmaceutical starch currently stands at about 7,500 metric tonnes per annum with a projected increase to over 15,000 metric tonnes by 2005.
Industrial starch has many applications. It is used in the preparation of various foods and confectionery products such as custard, sauces, soup, ice cream, bread, cakes, biscuits etc.
It is also used in the textile, soap and detergent industries and for the manufacture of dry cell batteries. In the pharmaceutical industry, starch is used for the manufacture of glucose and tableting of drugs. It is also used for the manufacture of incense mosquito coils.
Dry starch represents only 14% of the value of fresh cassava. Ghana's annual consumption of 6,500 metric tonnes of dry starch is far lower than the 10% (about 600,000 metric tonnes) post-harvest losses experienced yearly. Besides the domestic market, there is a potential market for starch in West and Central Africa as well as North America, Europe and Asia. The processing of cassava into starch to replace imports is a feasible investment proposition with an attractive financial rate of return.
Fruits
Orange, lemon, lime, grape, ginger, mangoes, banana, avocados, guava and pineapples are cultivated on a large scale. Current production of citrus and pineapple is estimated at over 20,000 and over 60,000 metric tonnes annually. Production is concentrated in the Eastern, Central, Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.
About 15,000 metric tonnes of pineapples are exported annually whilst a further over 10,000 metric tonnes are processed into juice locally. The remainder, about 35,000 metric tonnes is marketed locally in the form of fresh fruits.
Citrus presently is not exported. About 90% of annual production is consumed fresh whilst 10% is processed into juice and concentrate for the local market. Opportunities await investors who may wish to process pineapples and citrus into fruit juice, jam, marmalade and cookies.
Sugar Cane
There are many investment opportunities in the establishment of sugar cane processing into brown sugar and alcohol.
Rice
Rice milling is another area which investors are being sought.
Palm Oil Extraction
Enterprises could be set up to process the fruits into palm oil and palm kernel oil which are in large demand in Ghana. Apart from cooking, palm oil is also used for manufacture of products such as soap, margarine and baker's fat.
Tomatoes And Pepper
Current total production of tomatoes is over 200,000 metric tonnes and pepper over 180,000 metric tonnes. When the 2 items are in season, production exceeds demand and a lot is wasted because of lack of preservation and processing facilities. About 90% of tomatoes grown in Ghana are the type that can be processed into puree, past, juice and ketchup. Investors are welcomed to explore opportunities.
Pepper, peas, beans, garden eggs, okra and aubergines also present opportunities for canning. Interested investors are welcome.
Maize - Composite Flour And Grits
Maize production has increased tremendously over the years, sometimes excess of over 1 million metric tonnes a year when the harvest is good.
During good seasons, supply exceeds demand with the result that large amounts go bad due to lack of processing facilities.
Climatic and soil characteristics of Ghana provide favourable conditions for maize production which could be increased dramatically provided producers are assured of ready markets.
Ghana imports its wheat requirements for processing into wheat flour. Research studies by Ghana's Food Research Institute have established that maximum inclusion of 20% of maize flour in composite flour results in an acceptable product with characteristics similar to whole-wheat flour.
Ghana's brewery industry is also dependent upon imported malt for the production of beer and malt tonic drinks. There is potential for substitution of maize grits for malt in the brewery industry. Production of maize grits will be targeted at breweries as substitute for imported malt for beer and malt drink production. Interested investors are welcome.
Maize, Groundnut And Cowpeas
Maize, Groundnut and Cowpeas are produced on commercial scale and could be processed into weanimix as an import substitute for baby food as well as cereal food products for adults. Interested investors are welcome.
Fisheries - Marine
Fish landings in Ghana over the past 10 years have averaged about 300,000 metric tonnes per year, of which marine fishery accounts for about 90% of the total catch. Between 70% and 80% of marine fishery is harvested by artisanal (traditional) fishermen using outboard motors, canoes and nets.
Artisanal fishermen manning about over 8,000 canoes are responsible for landing over approximately 250,000 tonnes of fish annually. Experts from Enviro-Marine a UK based company have hinted that any investment in processing of 30% of artisanal catch could be marketed as top quality fresh demersal species and sold at current prices in European and other markets for a hefty receipt of about over US$500 million.
Tuna, Herrings, Cod, Marlin (Swordfish) and Salmon abound offshore, to be harvested year round for potentially strong fish processing industry either for export or local consumption.
Poultry Feed Concentrates (Fish mill) are other areas for investment.
Fresh Water Fish - Aquaculture
The origin of Tilapia is traced to Africa. Currently Tilapia can be grown under artificial conditions, but Africa still offers the best, inexpensive and natural environment.
World production is about over 600,000 metric tonnes per year, with Asia producing about 500,000 metric tonnes. In 1997, for instance world imports of Tilapia exceeded US$34 million. Ghana has one of the largest man-made lakes in the world - the Volta Lake - which provides ideal conditions for Tilapia production. Any investment in aquaculture will be a top winner.
Giant Fresh Water Prawns
Fresh water prawns belong to the lower - case genera, Leander, Macrobrachium and Palaemon. Macrobrachium has been identified as indigenous to Ghana. According to Enviro-Marine Aquaculture experts, Macrobrachium are easier to produce than Penaied shrimps. Ghana's coastal and lagoon areas offer tremendous opportunities for prawn farming.
Gold/Industrial Diamond
Most of Ghana, including the Ashanti Region, lies within the Pre-Cambrian Guinean shield of West Africa, Birimian, Tarkwaian and Dahomeyan systems, the Togo series and the Buem Formation. Ghana boasts of over 22 million ounces of gold reserves.
The mining and quarrying sector's contribution to the country is set to increase further with several mines expected to be developed and with the increase in the number of prospecting licences.
Interest of both foreign and Ghanaian investors continue to grow in the exploration and development of kaolin and quarry deposits, there are also great opportunities for financial and technical support for small-scale mining activities. Partners are needed to develop exploration and exploitation operations.
Bauxite
Bauxite ores are estimated at over 600 million metric tonnes. Ashanti region has the largest reserves at Nyinahim estimated at over 350 million metric tonnes with a high content of alumini and silica. In the Eastern Region, on the Atewa range, ore reserves are estimated to be over 201 million metric tonnes. Ores remain unexploited and there are opportunities for both bauxite production and establishment of alumina plant to process ores.
Limestone
Nauli in the Western Region has large deposits of limestone estimated at over 400 million tonnes which could be used for the production of cement clinker to substitute all imports of clinker, required by Ghana's two cement mills at Takoradi and Tema. The Nauli deposits could yield over 1.4 million tonnes clinker per year, by means of the dry process using 12mm scfd of natural gas. The average CaO content of the deposit is 51.8%.
Buipe in the Northern Region has limestone and mudstone with estimated reserves of over 6.03 million metric tonnes. It also has limestone and dolomite estimated at over 44 million metric tonnes. Limestone also occurs at Bango-Da (over 15 million metric tonnes of limestone and over 30 million metric tonnes of dolomite) and Daboya over 162,000 metric tonnes of limestone and over 500,000 metric tonnes of dolomite.
Iron Ore
Fifteen hills extending over a distance of 24km from the Oppon Valley at Oppon-Manso in the Western Region contain huge reserves of high-grade iron ore estimated at over 150 million tonnes. The deposits are suitable for commercial development. Interested investors are welcome.
Manganese
The Yakau-Himakrom deposits in the Western Region have reserves estimated at over 4.9 million tonnes of unwashed ore which could yield over 3.2 million tonnes of washed ore. The ore has average manganese content of over 42%.
The Aketechi Deposits are located south of Aketechi and west of river Butre in the Western Region. It has low percentage of manganese oxide and contains manganiforous garments. Estimated reserves at over 820,000 tonnes of unwashed ore with a manganese content of over 32%. Interested investors are welcome.
Odumase near Konongo: Odumase has manganese deposits estimated at over 1.7 million metric tonnes. The deposits have manganese content of 19.7%.
Kaolin (China-Clay)
Kibi in the Eastern Region and Abandze-Saltpond in the Central Region have large deposits of Kaolin. The deposits could be used industrially for the manufacture of tiles and household utensils. They could also be used as a basic raw material for the paper industry, insulators, powder and as filter in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. Interested investors are welcome.
Clay
Clay deposits in economic reserves occur in all regions. Some of the deposits, particularly those occurring at Apinamang in the Eastern Region have been proved to be suitable for paint manufacture. The other deposits are good for brick production, ceramics, roofing tiles etc. Interested investors are welcome.
Energy
About 99% of the total electric power is generated from hydroelectric sources at two stations - Akosombo and Kpong. The Akosombo plant has 6 turbines with a total installed capacity of over 912 megawatts. Kpong's capacity is over 160 megawatts. Tema has a thermal plant with capacity of over 30 megawatts. A 300-megawatt thermal plant near Takoradi is almost completed. As a result of increased industrial activity, current demand for power far outstrips supply. Opportunities in the energy market include: -
Gas transmission network in Ghana - possibility for investors to participate as equity partners in the establishment of a National Transmission Company. Investors could sell "excess" power on long term negotiated contract to the Ashanti Goldfields Company or into the National Grid at "avoided cost".
Own and operate "open access" pipeline linking Tema to Takoradi on the site of Nyinahim Bauxite Deposit (note: alumina plant requires 28-56 mmscfd-ggs).
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