The Ghana Oil Palm Development Company Limited (GOPDC) producers of King’s vegetable oil has won an enviable award at the just ended Ghana Manufacturing Awards which took place at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra.

The leading producers of refined speciality oils for use by food industry was adjudged best company ‘Local Content’ category at the ceremony which brought together stakeholders in the local manufacturing industry and endorsed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The Award

The Ghana Manufacturing Awards which seeks to celebrate innovation in the industry with the ultimate aim of compelling professionals and companies to compete locally and globally is organised by Xodus Communications. 

It rewards those that have played a defining role in moving the local industry forward and demonstrated achievement across a wide variety of domains, including sustainability and operational excellence.

Citation

The citation accompanying GOPDC award paid tribute to the company’s innovation in the local sector particularly the processing facilities of the company that comprise a fresh fruit bunch palm oil mill, a palm kernel oil mill, a refinery and fractionation plant, a palm kernel cake pellet plant and a jerrycan filling plant where the company's "King's" brand vegetable oil is packaged.

The company was also acknowledged for adding its quota to national development as it employs about 4,500 workers in the peak season, produces over 35,000 tonnes of palm oil and palm kernel oil per annum and has a storage capacity of about 21,000 tonnes both at Kwae and Tema (harbour near Accra)

Commenting on the award, Mr Gangadhar Shetty, Chief Commercial Officer of GOPDC said the award as long overdue since the company for years has been the biggest agric company which produces palm.

He said innovation is the company’s hallmark as it generates its own energy at site making it a self-sufficient company.

Mr. Shetty also informed the company pays attention to its Corporate Social responsibility as it has for many years assisted in the building of schools, provided students scholarship and village electrification especially around the community where it operates.

GOPDC will continue to employ local content in its production with the use of local raw materials to promote the agric sector, he said.

Speaking in an interview with the media after receiving the award, Mr. Gert Vandersmissen, Managing Director, GOPDC observed the award “is an attestation that we can create wealth locally as GOPDC produces locally, process locally, produce electricity and water locally and employ local people as well where we train them in growing rubber and palm and processing it into nutritional cooking oil like King’s Oil.

He hinted that GOPDC is investing into the long term projects and has ventured into rubber farming all in a bid to ensure the agric sector becomes viable for economic development.

He dedicated the award to all its partners, workers and customers and urged them to continue their loyalty.

GOPDC is into palm oil and rubber production. It has about 21,000 hectares of oil palm plantations at its Kwae and Okumaning estates located in the Kwaebibirem and Denkyembour districts of Eastern Region, of which, about 13,000 hectares have been developed for about 7,000 independent farmers. 

In total, there are over 1,860,000 oil palm trees spread over a radius of 30 km, creating a direct or indirect income for above 50,000 people.

In 2012 GODPC diversified into cultivation of rubber and has planted about 850 hectares of rubber trees in the uplands within its Kwae concession as at April 2017.