The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CASSAVA

  • Group seeks minister’s intervention on cassava bread grants

    The Delta Youths For Agriculture (DYFA) has  called on the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Adesina Akinwunmi, to intervene in the stalemate over Cassava Bread Out-grower Intervention Fund.

    The Coordinator of the group, Mr Lucky Aruoture, made the appeal at a seminar organised by the group in Warri, Delta.

    The group accused the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and the Ministry of Agriculture of frustrating access to the fund by potential beneficiaries.

    He coordinator said BoA failed to release the fund approved for Jopat Nig. Ltd under the Cassava Bread Out-grower Fund even when it had fulfilled the conditions.

    Aruoture said the development had frustrated the dreams of young Nigerians on agriculture.

    He said the conditions spelt out for accessing the fund in January 2014 included payment of N5,000 per hectare and a minimum of two hectares and maximum of four hectares per accredited beneficiary.

    “The payment of N20,000 for four hectares as equity contribution to access the loan/grant, land preparation and all other conditions have been met.

    ‘’All approved beneficiaries in our group have received SMS alerts confirming approval since September 2014, so we wonder why the bank and the ministry of agriculture have not released the funds,’’ he said.

  • Nigerian Breweries, others to boost cassava production

    Nigerian Breweries, others to boost cassava production

    Nigerian Breweries Plc, Psaltry International Company Limited  and the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) have signed an agreement to optimise the cassava value chain and improve agribusiness for small farmers.

    The agreement is a collaboration between the parties to improve the output of small farmers, support economic development and promote inclusive growth in Africa.

    The partnership will enhance farmers productivity and increase supply of high-quality cassava roots to Psaltry, who will, in turn, provide industrial quality cassava starch for NB to extract maltose syrup for use in the brewing process.

    According  to a statement, the   agreement succeeds the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the partners in June last year which formed part of the 2SCALE programme, a Dutch-funded initiative aimed at improving rural livelihoods and food security in Africa.

    The partners agreed to support small-scale farmers in the production of more and better cassava through technical assistance, training and easier access to finance. This will enable more small farmers to participate in the market for processed cassava byproducts required for large industrial purposes.

    The partnership also enhances NB’s  socio-economic contribution via the agricultural sector and supports the progress the company is making, towards the achievement of Heineken’s ambition to source 60 per  cent  of its agricultural raw materials in Africa locally by 2020.

    Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Nicolaas Vervelde,  said: “As an operating company of Heineken we have a long standing commitment to support local economic development and promote inclusive growth by sourcing agricultural raw materials from entrepreneurial local SME’s and utilising it in our operations. Through our partnership with Psaltry and IFDC, we are taking a big step towards further realising this ambition with cassava.”

    From June to December, last year, 2SCALE and Psaltry created awareness, mobilised and trained over 500 direct farmers who supplied more than 20,000 tons of cassava roots to Psaltry’s processing factory. Over 2,000 direct farmers are expected to benefit from the project within the next three years.

  • ‘Oyo can survive on cassava export’

    Oyo State can survive on exportation of cassava and other farm products, the  governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Teslim Folarin has said.

    He said the state is the second largest producer of cassava in Nigeria after Edo but it has not contributed to the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP) due to lack of proper management.

    Folarin, who spoke to journalists in his Oluyole, Ibadan home, lamented the dwindling international oil price.

    He said it was high time each state took steps on how to be financially independent, adding that he has plans to revive the farm settlement across the state if elected.

    According to Folarin, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will be strengthened to improve the output of agricultural sector and add to the state Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

    He noted that farm settlement across the state would be empowered and resuscitated to fulfil its initial objective.

    “We have been talking about diversifying form oil for the past many years but nobody seems to act on it because there are so much money coming from Abuja. Now, there is no money in Abuja again and either we like it or not, we have to take step now.

    “Look at cassava for instance, we can run Oyo State on cassava alone. Oyo State is the second largest producer of cassava after Edo state and it does not contribute to our Gross Domestic Products (GDP) because we don’t export cassava.

    “All we need to do is to mobilise our people to double their effort in production and start to export products of our farm settlement. We also need to strengthen our ministry of agric and rural development so as to improve our output in agricultural sector. We cannot continue waiting for the money from Abuja,” he noted.

  • Agric College partners FUNNAB on cassava value addition

    Agric College partners FUNNAB on cassava value addition

    The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure has been awarded a grant by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta covering April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2019.

    Known as Cassava: Adding Value for Africa Phase II (CAVA II), the grant is to help 200,000 small farmers to sell two million tonnes of cassava roots to make processed products such as high quality cassava flour, chips for animal feed and cassava starch in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.

    Consequent upon this engagement, the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure is expected to work with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and a host of other partners including Ondo State cassava value chain actors to meet the poverty reduction creed of the project.

    The Provost of the College Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina, said  the choice of the institution is informed by its relevance in the cassava sector and its commitment to providing world-class leadership in value chain activities and development in Nigeria.

    The college is also expected to partner the Team on Cassava Value addition (HQCF and other traditional cassava value chain) of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government. Stakeholders and value chain actors in Ondo State are expected to benefit from this collaboration.

  • ‘Bakers accuse bank of delaying release of N3.4b Cassava Bread Fund’

    The National Master
    Bakers and Catering
    Association of Nigeria has expressed worry at the unnecessary delay in the disbursement of the N3.4billion Cassava Bread Fund by the Bank of Industry (BoI).

    The Chairman of the Association, Simeon Abannlor, while reacting to claims by the Lagos Chapter of the Association that no Master Baker has benefited from the Cassava Bread Fund, said the BoI should be blamed for the delay in the release of funds and not government.

    Abannlor said the Federal Government has been sincere enough by allowing BoI to disburse the funds so as to ensure transparency, but regreted however since January 2014 when the first set of beneficiaries received the bakers equipment made up of 2000 capacity Rotary oven, Spiral Mixer, 80KVA Generator, deep Freezer and  working Capital of N1million, it was yet to process application of other beneficiaries.

    Basically, in an effort to scale up the production of cassava bread by the master bakers, the Federal government domiciled N3.4billion with the BoI to be disbursed to the Small Scale High Quality Cassava Flour Producer, Large Mills, and Master Bakers.

    The body admitted that N1.2billion of the said amount has so far being disbursed since 2013, while 2.2billion is still domiciled with the bank.

    The disbursement of the Cassava Bread Fund according to the National Chairman is in progress, as the ministry has so far trained 200 of its members out of which 177 members are beneficiaries.

    Against the backdrop of the allegation raised by the Lagos Chapter of the association, he disclosed that 96 master bakers across the country have received their equipment. He explained that for the first phase of the project, the bank selected 4 master bakers from each state

    He said each baker received 2000 capacity Rotary oven, Spiral Mixer, 80KVA generator, while the beneficiaries are still expecting deep freezers and a working capital of N1million.

    Commending the Agriculture Minister for taking decisive steps in ensuring the success of the project, and that the fund domiciled with the Bank of Industry gets to the intended beneficiaries, he expressed his reservation against the Lagos chapter of the association for staging protest against the policy, saying they are only trying to play politics with food security.

  • ‘Cassava factory near completion’

    The Plateau government said the structural development of its Cassava Processing Factory had reached 60 per cent completion.

    Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Steven Barko, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), added that the  project is a fall-out of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and a Brazilian firm, EBS Fedeta de Fedates, signed in 2012.

    He said: “It has gone up to between 50 to 60 per cent in terms of structural development but all the machines have been manufactured.

    “Furthermore, 10 Plateau youths have been trained in Brazil to handle the factory. In fact they returned (from Brazil) just one week ago.”

    He said the state Ministry of Works had completed the construction of the road leading to the factory while the boreholes for supply of water to the factory had been sunk and ready for use.

    He said: “We need water, reliable water and all the boreholes that are needed for the water have been completed; the road to the factory has been completed.

    “The structural development is what is going on now and you know the delay in completion is because sometimes this structures and equipment must come together so that they would understand where to fix this, where to fix that.”

  • IITA votes $2.2m for cassava development

    IITA votes $2.2m for cassava development

    The Support to Agricultural Research and Development of Strategic Crops(SARD-SC) project, funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB) and executed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), has budgeted $2.2million  for its cassava value chain activities for next year’s  cropping season.

    This was revealed  when the SARD-SC project had its review and planning meeting for cassava crop held  in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. The purpose of the meeting, a statement said,  was to review project achievements this year; develop work plans, budget and procurement plans for next year.

    The review, it said, also provided an opportunity to identify militating factors against increased  cassava productivity of cassava and proffered solutions.

    The meeting which had in attendance a broad spectrum of scientists including agronomists, socio-economists, breeders, plant pathologists and Commodity Specialists, reviewed how the productivity and profitability of cassava can be improved to enhance food security and farmers’ welfare.

    Some of the issues affecting increased productivity of cassava crops identified were: inadequate use of fertilisers and herbicides by farmers which causes degradation of land. This affects its commercialisation and profitability. The other issue, according  to the statement, was the pervasive Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) affecting crops in some African countries. The viral disease wastes crops, engenders low productivity and discourages farmers from investing in cassava cultivation. Scientists at the meeting discussed various strategies to combat the menace.

    One of them is dissemination of disease-resistant cassava varieties to areas majorly affected by CBSD in any project target countries.

    To increase the productivity of cassava, the scientists’ proffered intercropping cassava with legumes, while extensive discussions were held on the release of bio fortified yellow cassava.

  • Inability to access N10b cassava bread funds worries farmers

    Inability to access N10b cassava bread funds worries farmers

    Cassava in the country  farmers  have raised the alarm over their inability to access the N10 billion cassava bread fund.

    They alleged that instead of giving them funds, they were given pesticides/herbicides.

    The cassava farmers ought to access part of the funds through the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) to grow cassava in their respective farmlands across the country.

    Some of the farmers who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity lamented inability to access the fund.

    One of the farmers, from Fagun in Ondo State, said only herbicides had been given to the 33 members who grow cassava in Fagun. He noted that despite several visits to his farm by members of the association, he was yet to receive any money.

    He said: “They have been to our farms three times now. They even asked us to put up signposts in the farm to be sure if we are the owners of the farms. Is there anybody who does not know that the farms belong to us?

    “There is no money to maintain the cassava we have planted on the farm. We are like 33 in number growing cassava I can’t even pay the people working for me now.

    “They just promised and since they promised us, they have not put the money into our accounts. They said they have released it but they have not paid us. Our pass book is with them together with the money we put there. We have not been given anything. Only herbicides have been given to us.”

    Another farmer from Ile Oluji, Ondo State  also denied receiving money from the body.  He said: “I have not got any money from the fund. I don’t know when we will receive the money but they said very soon.”

    Another farmer in ADP, Ondo said: “Cassava stem that has not gotten to us. It is the one we have planted on our own. We have planted some on our own. They have come to check it from Abuja. Even they took the photograph. We were all there. But as I speak with you, money has not been released to us.”

    But the National President NCGA, Pastor Segun Adewumi  said the association had used its own money to help farmers establish their farms.

    He said N708 million was supposed to be used to develop cassava stems, N912 million on land preparation, while N706 million was expected to be used to purchase herbicides and fertiliser.

    He said: “We have already used our money to help farmers establish the farms. So we have given them some advance.  It was N708million is for cassava stem. N912million is for what we call land preparation that is tractor work and everything. “The balance, I think it was N706million or something is for herbicides and fertilisers. This is what we did even before the government ever brought the money. We have our own money, we pre-financed it then the government inspects it, then go and pay.”

  • We‘re accessing N10b Cassava Fund, say farmers

    Farmers have started accessing the N10billion Cassava Bread Fund approved by the Federal Government, the President, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association? (NCGA), Pastor Segun Adewumi, has said.

    He said N2.4 billion was given to farmers to grow cassava.

    Adewumi, who spoke with The Nation in Abuja  said farmers would be blamed if the recent new policy on cassava flour fails.

    He said: “The farmers have started working with the funds. N2.4 billion was given  to grow cassava. The fund is divided between, cassava growers, the processors and the master bakers. Both processors and the master bakers have fund to upgrade their equipment, cassava growers have fund to provide affordable and adequate cassava for the programme.

    He explained that the banks now have confidence to give out money to farmers because they know that the market is waiting with  multiplied patronage. He said  government has given the cassava growers free hand to drive the 20 per cent cassava flour inclusion in bread baking.

    He said: “We have tried it before but it didn’t work because the implementation had a problem, but right now, the minister has given farmers a free hand. He said if anybody is to be blamed for its failure, it’s the farmers, because it’s no longer the government that is controlling it; gvernment has given the controlling powers to farmers and we are very happy.

    “As at now, we are supposed to do 29, 500 hectares which by this month end, we must have completed. So work is going on all over the country around the high quality cassava flour production centres.”

  • Govt to address cassava bread’s challenges

    A robust cassava  bread  sector is necessary for sustained economic growth and high-paying jobs in Nigeria, the  Technical Adviser(Cassava Value Chain) to the Minister  of Agriculture  and Rural Development , Mrs  Oluwatoyin Adetunji,  has  said.

    To achieve  this, Adetunji   said    government would  develop a sustainable cassava bread  sector  that would  help  raise  farmers  income,  improve  food  security and  contribute to an expansion of the rural cottage  industry.

    Speaking at the sidelines  during  a  training  for  master  bakers  in the  South  West   region, in Lagos , she   said the  government   intends  to  encourage   more  farmers  to  include cassava in bread  preparation,adding that it  would reduce  production cost incurred  as a result of using   wheat as  a major  component.

    Right  now, she  said most farmers  include  10  percent  cassava in  bread production ,which  means a lot  in terms of  reduction of cost .  So far, she said 140 bakers have been trained  from  the  South West part  of  the country.

    In addition, Mrs Adetunji    said  the  government  was ready   to  assist bakers   to adopt the   technology to  improve  cassava bread  production.  This at the end, will help to raise the  volume and quality of high quality  cassava bread, increase the efficiency of the supply chain and develop new markets.

    The  government, she  reiterated   supply  lines  of  high quality b cassava  flour (HQCF)  for  bakeries   and upgrade  traditional processing practices  to  make  cassava  bread for  defined  markets.

    As  there is ongoing  arrangement to  ensure bakers take  delivery  of  machines,Mrs Adetunji  said  the    government  is  determined   to  remove   existing constraints in cassava bread  production, while  small bakers  will  be  supported  to  increase productivity and improve  their entrepreneurial capabilities.

    Chairman, South West Zone Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Alhaji Abibulah Abolusodun   said the first training was held last year in Osun State.

    He said beneficiaries  were  drawn  from seven  states in the South West.

    With  more  bakers  supported  to  invest in cassava bread  production,  he  said  a large number  of  youths  would   get  employed,  farmers  would  earn  more and new  cassava  production and processing businesses  would spring up.

    According to him, the  basic high cost  bakers incurred is on wheat and this is responsible for supplies becoming tighter.