Walewale Watermelon Factory: Farmers Seek Government Action Before Harvest Season
Residents of Kparigu in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region are calling on the government to urgently operationalise the Walewale Watermelon Processing Factory to help address recurring post-harvest losses among farmers.
The factory, located in Walewale, was commissioned in November 2024 by then Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The facility formed part of the previous government’s flagship One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme.
The factory was established by Champion Foods and Beverages with financial support from the Ghana EXIM Bank, with the aim of adding value to watermelon production and creating employment opportunities in the municipality.
The renewed call comes as watermelon farmers in the municipality have cultivated thousands of acres of the crop ahead of the October and November harvesting season. Farmers fear that without a ready market, they could suffer significant post-harvest losses.
For years, watermelon farming has been a major source of livelihood for young people in Kparigu and surrounding communities. But during periods of glut, farmers are often confronted with the same challenges—limited buyers, fruits left to rot on farms and extremely low farm-gate prices.
The factory was expected to process about 10 metric tonnes of watermelon juice per hour, creating more than 200 direct jobs and thousands of indirect employment opportunities for farmers, aggregators and other actors along the value chain.
Speaking in an interview, the former Assembly Member for the Kparigu Electoral Area, Hudu Yahaya, said the prolonged delay in operationalising the facility is creating growing skepticism among farmers.
He said many farmers are now threatening to abandon watermelon cultivation altogether if they are unable to secure profitable markets for this year’s harvest.
The residents and farmers are therefore appealing to the government and relevant stakeholders to prioritise the operationalisation of the factory before the peak harvest season.
Source: Northwebonline.com
