By William N-lanjerbnorr Jalulah.
THE INGENUITY of an indigenous entrepreneur in the Upper East Region could soon find an antidote to the many poverty-related problems, including high unemployment in the region, if the government and financial institutions give him the needed push to turn around his innovations.
Untill now, locally produced beverages were imported from other regions into the Upper East Region. But, today, an indigenous entrepreneur is fast taking over the region’s market, in terms of indigenous fruit juices, which are very rich in nutrients. Yabco-Focus Company Limited has started the production of local beverages that are now hitting the region’s leading supermarkets.
Under the brand name Starr Fruit Juices, the company has launched six products that are receiving significant patronage across the region. The products include watermelon juice, baobab juice, tamarind juice, butternuts juice, pineapple juice, and mango juice. In an exclusive interview with this reporter, after conducting him round the plant and briefing him on how the equipment work, the Chief Executive Officer of Yabco-Focus Company Limited, Mr. Baba Yabdow, explained the uniqueness and rich nutritional value of baobab fruit, which is in abundance in the region.
It would be recalled that in 2010, this reporter serialised a feature showcasing the value of the baobab tree, and how if utilised, could be a tool to solving Northern poverty. It was on the topic: “Exploring the value of the Baobab tree”. His little research on the tree showed that its fruit (pulps) contains more than 6 times the antioxidant levels of cranberries, blueberries and pomegranates, more than 6 times the potassium of bananas, more than 6 times the Vitamin C of oranges, 50% heart healthy fiber, and twice as much calcium as milk.
These facts were re-echoed by Mr. Yabdow, who said some schools in the region had made the baobab fruit juice, and other fruit juices he produces, their number one choice for their pupils and students, because of the rich nutritional value they present. He added that the baobab tree has a lifespan of about 1,000 years. With high-tech processing equipments, which he described as very expansive, the CEO said he could produce to meet any demand. He currently has a store room in the Northern regional capital, Tamale, where some of the products are stored for very short period before they are distributed.
According to him, he has engaged 21 women from the Nyariga and Dorongo communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality, who supply him with baobab fruit powder. He has also provided them with sickle-like tools for plucking the fruits, and sacks and polythene materials for packaging of the powder. He said he had given them orientation on how they should pluck, crack and pound the fruits to extract the pulp into powder.
After obtaining the powder, the women then sieve it before they bag it. The powder is then sold to him at GH¢5.00 per bowl.
Other products such as Watermelon Fruit Juice, Tamarind Fruit Juice, Butternuts Squash Juice, Pineapple Fruit Juice and Mango Fruit Juice are produced with very little or no preservatives. When asked how he gets the raw fruits for these other juices, Mr. Yabdow explained that Tamarind fruits are bought from Walewale and Nalerigu in the Northern Region. Mangoes are bought from Navrongo, Pwalugu, Nakpanduri.
Though he said he sometimes buys grafted mangoes from Burkina Faso when the local ones are in short supply, he prefers the local mangoes, because they contain a lot of fluid, and are also very sweet. While butternut squash is bought from Buipe in the Northern Region, watermelons are bought from Zebilla, Bazua, and Pwalugu, all in the Upper East Region. Pineapples are also bought from Kintampo in the Brong Ahafo Region.
These successful innovations are not without challenges.
The major hurdle now for the company is to purchase at least one distribution van. The CEO says the lack of a distribution van often caused wastage, as some of the products go bad. His explanation is that because they do not add preservatives, the products cannot last for long. Another concern is that the raw materials are seasonal. He observed that most of the raw materials (fruits) are seasonal, and cannot also be stored, because they are perishable, except tamarind and baobab.
Started in 1996 as a sole proprietorship and registered as a company in 2006, Yabco-Focus Company Limited has a vision of seeing the Northern Savannah Region without poverty. Its mission is also to expand business opportunities for the youth and women in Northern Ghana, and young businesses. In line with its vision and mission, the CEO says the company has employed 45 people. He adds that should he get support to purchase a distribution van to distribute his products to every part of the region, and across to Northern and Upper West Regions, the company could employ 40 more people next year, and increase the workforce to about 3,000 in the next five years.
Mr. Yabdow is saddened by the volume of preservatives in most of the drinks being spewed into the market. He said most of the drinks, especially the foreign ones, are adulterated with so many preservatives that those who patronise them are “buying diseases”. Some of the company’s state-of-the-art machines include a juice extractor, mango pulping, pasteuriser, shrinking, and vibro sieve.
He has four giant regenerators for cooling the juices, and neatly maintained processing rooms with regulated temperatures.
The company also produces natural mineral water under the brand name ‘Starr Natural Mineral Water’, as well as operates a washing bay.