The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CASSAVA

  • Nigeria seeks $40million loan for cassava chips export

    Nigeria seeks $40million loan for cassava chips export

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has disclosed plans to secure $40million loan from the African Export and Import Bank in Egypt.

    The Minister said that the facility is to meet 3million metric tons export demand of cassava chips to China.

    Adesina disclosed this at the weekend in Abuja.

    He added that the Chinese government had requested for an export order of 3million metric tons of cassava chips.

    He stated that the cassava available in the country cannot meet the demand, which necessitates government to seek external credit facility for the production of the commodity.

    According to the Minister: “Gone are the days when cassava are allowed to lie fallow under the ground without it being harvested.

    “We are making sure we create market for our cassava to the extent that the produce would not be enough to meet the demand”.

    The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has also provided N4.1billion credit facility for the Nigerian Cassava Growers Association (NCGA).

    The loan will enable 20,000 member farmers to cultivate 60,000 hectares of farmland during the 2013 planting season.

    At the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the board members of BOA and the members of the NCGA witnessed by Adesina and the Minister of State, Bukar Tijani, the Minister stated that the grant could not have come at a better time when the country is in dire need of cassava to meet export demand.

    Lamenting that Nigeria is not adding enough value to what is being produced, the Minister maintained that the current administration is determined to make the nation not only the largest producer of cassava but also the largest cassava processor in the world.

    After the delivery of 2million metric ton of cassava chip to China in 2012, Adesina revealed that the chips produced in Nigeria have been adjudged the best in the world.

    He disclosed plans to set up six cassava chip processing centres in Enugu, Ibadan, Nassarawa, Taraba, hinting that that the 18 cassava milling machines to mill high quality cassava flour would be available in the country before the end of the year.

    While commending BOA for the provision of the facility, he said it is the responsibility of the government to provide finance and create market for goods produced in the country.

    He further unfolded plans by the federal government to recapitalise the BOA to meet the status of RABO bank, the largest agricultural bank in Nigeria.

     

  • Hitches trail introduction of cassava bread

    Hitches trail introduction of cassava bread

    The launch of cassava bread into the menu list of Nigerians was done with so much fun fare several months ago. The euphoria has since died down, with no sight of the new bread on the shelves, reports Bukola Afolabi

    For a long time, Nigerians were satisfied with the taste of bread made from wheat and it was a constant item on the menu for many. However, the desire to look inwards made the government to announce a new policy on bread making in the country last year.

    The big question on the lips of many was: How prepared is the nation for this? Were the bakers ready for the new formulation in dough preparation with a greater percentage of cassava flour? It was also important to find out if the millers were ready for the new experiment that now requires them to add a higher proportion of cassava flour to the hitherto predominantly wheat flour, and still give the bakers what they need to produce an acceptable bread.

    What and how long will it take for Nigerian consumers to adapt to and accept the new look, texture and taste of bread in the country?

    According to a miller, the issue is still being discussed by representatives of millers, bakers and the government. “Flour millers are using cassava, but the level at which the government wants is being discussed,’’ he said. According to him, bakers do not have enough of the type of cassava flour required for bread-making. Obviously, as with every novel idea, there are questions bordering on the technical possibility on the part of the millers, and availability of the right type of cassava flour. There may be need for some form of retooling to make the current machines handle cassava flour.

    Naturally, there were a lot of reactions to this change and gradually many started getting ready for the change. Unfortunately, many months after, the cassava bread is still very far from the oven, groceries and our menu list. So what are the challenges and how can bakers make the cassava bread dream a reality?

    According to a source in the Ministry of Agriculture, “We are still testing the cassava bread; it is not much in the circulation now.” He, however, said, “we have cassava biscuits, doughnut and other pastries. It is not in circulation now because we want to know how acceptable it would be in the market.”

    The source also said that “some of the members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are frustrating the policy because of their selfish interest.”

    Ade Adegbokun, who also spoke on the matter, added that “the Federal Government always does things half way. Most times they would come up with a policy and move into another area without following up on what they have started. To my surprise, the introduction of cassava bread started with some reservations; then a lot of Nigerians started embracing it when they realised that there was a lot of danger in flour bread, but government is not pushing it the way they should.”

    Under the new policy, the government asked millers to raise to 20 percent the cassava flour in the flour for bread-making. This will be raised to 40 percent ultimately.

    To encourage or force local millers to comply with the policy, the government announced in June last year a 65 percent levy on wheat flour imports. The levy took effect on July 1 and is in addition to a 35 percent duty on wheat flour imports.

    Government, however, provided an incentive for the cassava industry by abolishing a 10 percent duty paid on import of cassava-enhancing enzymes used by millers and bakers. Government will use part of the revenue from the 65 percent levy on wheat to establish a Cassava Bread Development Fund and the fund will be used to support the cassava value chain.UTC and Butterfield were called to be part of it.

    Undoubtedly, ‘Starloaf‘ cassava bread, the brand from UTC baker’s stable, assumes the confectionery industry flagship product as it ventures into the ECOWAS market where consumers await delivery, a first of its

  • Widower, four children die after cassava meal

    Widower, four children die after cassava meal

    •Two other children on danger list

     

    A family in Enugu state is on the verge of being wiped-out following the death, in one fell swoop, of the head of the family – a widower – and four of his children after a meal of mixed cassava and corn.

    The remaining two children in the family are reported to be on the danger list at a traditional hospital at Enugu Ezike, in Igboeze Local Government area.

    The incident which the police are now investigating happened at Mbu Apochi in Isi-Uzo Local Government area of the state. The widower identified as Charles Nnadi and his six children were said to have fallen ill soon after taking the meal.

    They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital at Eha Amufu by neighbours.

    Nnadi and three of the children, however, died one after the other. The remaining four were transferred to the trado-medical hospital where two more died. The remaining two are now critically ill there.

    Spokesman for the State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, said police have commenced a full scale investigation with a view to unraveling the Circumstances surrounding the incident.

  • Cassava processors seek govt help

    Niger state

    The Niger State branch of the Nigeria Cassava Processors Association and Marketers (NCPM) has appealed to the state government to assist its members with machinery and equipment for the production of high quality cassava flour for bread making.
    Mr Jamiu Lawal, the association’s chairman who made the appeal in an interview with reporters in Minna, said that the state government’s assistance would also go a long way in encouraging cassava chips export.
    “The Federal Government is encouraging the the production of high quality cassava flour to produce bread and we cannot achieve that without the necessary machinery and equipment which are quite expensive for the peasant farmer.
    “So we are calling on the state government to come to our aid by supporting us to procure these machinery and equipment on loan, to enable us meet the demand for high quality cassava flour.’’
    He said that the call became imperative as the association nationwide, found it difficult to access the N500 million loan set aside for cassava growers and processors across the country.
    “We are finding it difficult to access the N500 million loan set aside by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration for cassava growers and processors nationwide.’’
    According to him, N300 million of the fund is voted for cassava processors in the country.
    He, however, expressed regret that the association found it difficult to access the money due to bottlenecks by banks administering the loan, adding that access to credit constituted a major challenge to the production of high quality cassava flour.
    “We have cassava in large quantity in Niger State but since we do not have the processing technologies, we find it difficult to meet the international quality standard for cassava chips and flour,’’ he said.