Star Agro Forestry Limited has commissioned a $2 million state-of-the-art Plant Tissue Culture (PTC) laboratory in the Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality of Ashanti in Nkawie at Amangoase
The Plant Tissue Culture (PTC) technology, an advanced technique dating back to the 1920s, involves the cultivation of plants through small tissue samples from healthy plants placed on a nutrient medium. This creates an artificial environment conducive to the growth of new plants, heralding a modern era for plant propagation.
Financed by Mr. Sanjay Poddar, Managing Director of Star Agro Forestry Limited, the $2 million laboratory represents a significant investment in agricultural innovation. The company intends to utilize the facility to plant between 15,000 and 20,000 hectares of land within five years.
Target species include teak, gmelina, African mahogany, and rosewood, alongside crops such as cashew, cocoa, sugar cane, bamboo, avocado, banana, citrus, pineapple, plantain, passion fruits, cassava, ginger, yam, potato, and sweet potato.
In his remarks, Mr. Poddar reiterated his company’s commitment to promoting food security and job creation in Ghana’s forestry industry. He expressed confidence in empowering local farmers to achieve high yields and better production, envisioning Ghana as a prominent exporter hub for diverse agricultural crops.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, announced government efforts to support private forest plantation developers. A $7 million credit facility from the World Bank under the Ghana Forest Investment Program is set to be disbursed as a concessionary loan facility to eligible developers through the Agriculture Development Bank. The aim is to accelerate reforestation and afforestation efforts in Ghana.
Mr. Owusu-Bio commended Mr. Sanjay Poddar for his pivotal role in financing the laboratory, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in driving Ghana’s forest landscape interventions. He emphasized the laboratory’s contribution to meeting the country’s tree planting targets and praised traditional authorities for their support.
Additionally, the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, John Allotey, announced a Memorandum of Understanding with Star Agro Forestry Limited to prioritize local employment, aiming to employ about 80 percent of local personnel. This move aims to address concerns about the composition of the workforce and underscores the commitment to local capacity building.
BY :KING HOPE,ASHANTI REGION
