Sagnarigu (N/R), Dec 18, GNA – More than 3,000 members of the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association will soon begin to export their shea butter and black soap products to international markets, following their selection to benefit from the West Africa Competitiveness (WACOMP) Sub-contracting Matching Scheme project.
The project, which is funded with a grant from the European Union (EU), is to upgrade the production capacities of the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association, located at Sagnarigu in the Northern Region, through tooling of its production processes and output management by upgrading its machinery, equipment and management capacities.
It is also to improve the effectiveness of the Association’s financial accounting, inventory management and reporting functions of its cluster, provide a desk-top computer with accessories and an inventory management software; coaching on quality standards and preparation of manual on a standard operating procedure for the beneficiary Shea butter processing co-operative.
The intervention is to increase the export competitiveness of the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association through increased production volumes, reduced production lead time, achieved shea butter quality grade A and increase effectiveness of production and financial reporting systems.
The one-year project, which will end in November 2022, is being implemented by Pure Trust Foundation LBG on behalf of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) with funding from the European Union.
Mr Habib Haruna, Chief Executive Officer of Pure Trust LBG, who gave details of the project during its kick-off meeting, said it would improve the income and employment security of the more than 3,000 rural women members of the Association and members of its alliances with Bole Shea Cooperative Association in the Bole District of the Savannah Region and Janshegu Shea Co-operative in the Tamale Metropolis.
In line with the project, a desktop computer with accessories was presented to the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association during the meeting to enhance record keeping of its operations.
Other production machinery to be provided is currently being fabricated by Gratis Foundation and will be installed in February 2022.
The assistance to the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association was in line with WACOMP’s objectives and outcomes to develop small enterprises in its contribution to industry development and supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in Ghana to attain more export potentials.
Mr Haruna expressed gratitude to UNIDO for selecting Pure Trust Foundation LBG, a livelihood, social services, advocacy and community foundations development non-profit organisation based in Tamale and operating nationally, to implement the project.
Madam Safia Alhassan, Chairperson of Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association, expressed gratitude for the support, saying it would help the Association to expand its operations and market its products internationally, using various platforms including social media.
Madam Alhassan said the Association would make good use of the new equipment such as a kneader, crusher, grinding mill, and the computer, adding over 700 other women shea butter processors and pickers in the Sagnarigu Municipality would also benefit from the equipment.
Madam Memunatu Salifu, Assistant Production Supervisor at the shea butter processing department of the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association, said the support would enhance their work, adding the use of bare hands to process shea butter, which was a laborious process, would be a thing of the past.
She added that the support would ensure they processed high-quality shea butter in large quantities at shorter times for the international market.
Madam Samata Abdul Rahman, a Senior Supervisor of the soap processing department of the Pagsung Shea Butter and Shea Pickers Association, said they used their hands to do most of the works on processing their soap, which affected its quality, adding the machines would make their soap attractive to customers.
Mr Christian Baatoumou, a Board Member of Pure Trust Foundation LBG, advised the women to take good care of the items to improve their livelihoods and those of their families.
Mr Abdulai Isah Cosmos, Business Development Officer, Sagnarigu Business Resource Centre, lauded the support to the Association, saying it would complement the efforts of the government to improve local businesses.
GNA/