Komenda Sugar Factory sugarcane being sold to ‘akpeteshie’ distillers

In a rather disappointing twist of events, the Komenda Sugar Factory is now selling sugarcane at its 125-acre seedling plantation to distillers of the local alcoholic beverage popularly known as ‘akpeteshie’.

The $35 million India EXIM Bank loan factory remains dormant, due to lack of funds. After an initial test-run when it was commissioned in 2016, it cannot continue to keep the sugarcane that has overgrown beyond the seedling stage.

According to sources at the factory, the sugarcane, some of which have lasted for two years, were supposed to be used for planting in less than nine months on the vast land that lies just opposite factory.

However, having lasted for that long, the plants have turned fibre and have lost most of their water content, making the sugarcane no more suitable for sugar production even if the factory were operational.

The situation is what has prompted officials of the factory to dispose of the sugarcane, an activity they call the best farm management practice.

Officials of the factory will not speak to Citi News on record, but a source within the factory said the harvest and sale has been officially sanctioned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The disappointing twist of events is that, late last year, Citi News did a report on out-grower sugarcane farmers across the Central and Western Regions crying over how the factory was no longer buying the sugarcane they started growing when the factory was commissioned in 2016.

When Citi News visited the 125-acre seedling farm of the factory on Saturday, harvesting of the grown sugarcane was ongoing briskly, while young men were loading the sugarcane into a huge cargo truck standing by.

The buyers present at the time of the visit had come all the way from the Brong Ahafo Region, and were loading the sugarcane into a large cargo truck. They are only one of the diverse buyers who have been alerted of the availability of sugarcane for sale.

Though it appears a brisk business for local alcohol distillers, Auntie Grace, who also buys some of the sugar for distillation of ‘akpeteshie’ in large quantity at Egyaa No. 3 in the Mfantseman Municipality, believes molasses from the factory would have been better.

“Molasses would have been cheaper for us the distillers. Buying, transporting and processing the raw sugarcane is very costly, so they should let the factory work for us to rather get molasses”, she said.

Sources within the factory say the sugarcane will sprout again and serve as another batch of seedlings in few months, but if funds are not provided for it to be planted and for the factory to work again, similar harvesting and sale will happen again in a year or two.

Molasses is a viscous product resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar.

Molasses varies by amount of sugar, method of extraction, and age of plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used for sweetening and flavoring foods in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. Molasses is a defining component of fine commercial brown sugar.

Source: citinewsroom.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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