29/07/05 Tema, (GNA)- The Netherlands is supporting Unilever Ghana Limitedwith about 400,000 Euros, as grants for its research into the commercialproduction of Allan Blackia nuts. Uniliver will also provide funds tocomplement the cost of the project, which is 738,712 Euros and expected tobe completed by the end of May 2006. These were made known to the press bythe Dutch Ambassador, Mr Arie Vender Wiel on Thursday, during his workingvisit to the factory in Tema to familiarise himself with the company'sactivities.

The Chief Executive Officer of Unilever and other staff of the companyconducted him round the factory's soap wrapper points, food packaging andquality control laboratory and other units of the factory. The nuts, whichare abundantly available in the country, could be a source of oil and asubstitute for palm oil, which has been Unilever's main raw material forthe production of margarines. The nuts have a fatty acid composition andsolidify at 30 degrees Celsius, and three kilograms of nuts can beprocessed into one kilogram of oil.

The pilot project is expected to prove the commercial feasibility in asustainable nuts production chain, starting with a production of 4,500tons of oil per year to a large scale, after testing 7,000 to 10,000 tons.Mr Wiel said after the project was completed, a new supply chain would beestablished and this will create a direct employment of 200 people, whilessome 1,700 people will be involved in the collection of the nuts. Heexpressed his satisfaction at the operations in the factory and commendedmanagement for their efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS.

Mr Wiel said it was not only the responsibility of the Government to dealwith the disease and called on individuals and organisations to assist inpreventing it's spread. He said Unilever would sustain its role of seekingthe welfare of the people. The Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Ghana,Mr Charles Coffie, expressed his appreciation for the company's efforts atexploring avenues for raw materials.Source: GNA