In Anyinasusu near Offinso in the Ashanti Region, what should be a thriving orange business is turning into a story of loss. Each season, trucks of oranges arrive from Barekese, Juaben, and Abofour – but without a processing factory, much of the fruit goes to waste.
Traders say the lack of infrastructure and poor market access are crippling their livelihoods. “It’s painful to watch our produce rot,” one lamented.
A mini orange factory could transform Anyinasusu’s economy. By producing juice and other by-products, the community could reduce waste and extend the shelf life of its produce. More importantly, it could create jobs – factory workers, transporters, marketers, and small-scale entrepreneurs using orange waste for animal feed or organic products.
This directly supports Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth. With the right investment, the area could become a hub for agro-processing, giving young people employment and boosting local incomes.
Traders are urging authorities, including MP Isaac Yaw Opoku, to champion the project. For them, the solution is simple: turn excess into enterprise.
In Anyinasusu, saving oranges could mean creating a future.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Sandra Nana Adwoa Annan