VENTURES AFRICA – Nigeria’s Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development has said the country’s policy on the
use of 20 percent High Quality Cassava Flour, HQCF, for baking bread
saves the nation N127 billion ($773.2 million) billion.
The ministry’s South-South region Director Martins Odeh, who was
standing in for the Minister Akinwumi Adesina at the training conducted
for bakers in Port Harcourt River State, said aside the money been saved
the country, the HQCF also has the potential to create more jobs for
the youth and assist farmers build up domestic wealth.
The Nigerian government has been advocating the
inclusion of cassava flour in the baking of bread in the country to reduce the dependence of the country on the importation of flour. In 2013, Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a N4.3 billion ($20 million) facility deal with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to boost the production of cassava bread in the country.
The government sees the “cassava bread” as part of the measure to break the country’s dependence on food imports and encourage local farmers and the private sector to build an agricultural sector that would make Nigeria a powerhouse in food production in Africa and the global world.
Akinwumi also stated that the training was to empower the participants on the inclusion of 20 per cent HQCF in making bread. He urged the participants to make use of the opportunity and learn how to use the recipe as Nigeria has been the world’s largest producer of cassava and not leading in its consumption.
The country’s Cassava Value Chain Desk Officer, Olajumoke Adewulu, disclosed at the training event that six high quality cassava processing plants were approved by the National Assembly. They are capable of producing 40 metric tonnes of High Quality Cassava Flour per day in the six geopolitical zones, she added.
The Nigerian government has been advocating the
inclusion of cassava flour in the baking of bread in the country to reduce the dependence of the country on the importation of flour. In 2013, Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a N4.3 billion ($20 million) facility deal with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to boost the production of cassava bread in the country.
The government sees the “cassava bread” as part of the measure to break the country’s dependence on food imports and encourage local farmers and the private sector to build an agricultural sector that would make Nigeria a powerhouse in food production in Africa and the global world.
Akinwumi also stated that the training was to empower the participants on the inclusion of 20 per cent HQCF in making bread. He urged the participants to make use of the opportunity and learn how to use the recipe as Nigeria has been the world’s largest producer of cassava and not leading in its consumption.
The country’s Cassava Value Chain Desk Officer, Olajumoke Adewulu, disclosed at the training event that six high quality cassava processing plants were approved by the National Assembly. They are capable of producing 40 metric tonnes of High Quality Cassava Flour per day in the six geopolitical zones, she added.
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