AGRIC
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BUS SS
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Wednesday 14 November 2012
Foreign demand for cassava leaves rises OlUVINKA AlAWODE
D
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I.,
cerlaln species of cassava Icaves outside the country i. on Ihe rise. cspedally from the United States of America. This was made known at iI
meeting of the Nigerian
Cassava Growers' J\ssocialion
(NCGA) held in Lap n:a:ntly. Val Otinedum Agbasonu.
,fanner/ university
~rch
lhough useol o~ manure may nol produce the destred restlll for cassava tubers. it enriches the nUlrlent quality of the ca~va leaves. According to various researches, raw cassava leaws contain more crude fible and protein as compared to the raw or boiled r.assava rulJoCrs. Vilamins A, C and E and minerals, namely. calcium, makneslum, phosphorus, iron. sodium. and chloride Ions were identified in the raw and boiled cassava lea~ bill
feUow\\ith inve:snnent Interest: in cassava farming. who il also I member of NeG!!.. $aid these species, apan fmm
their possible commercial use, may also be used as very /lulrienl·rich vegetables by foreigners.. ·U weU pll";Served and refrigerated. Ihe leaves ciln $Iay fresh for a long time and II has high prou~in contenL- hC5IIid. Segun Adewumi. president of the IISsociation. uld
Ihe leaves have five limes
mOIC proleln than loya bt!ans. According 10 him. the Increasing demand by lunericans and South Nrlcans is for the purpose of using II in the producllon of animal feeds. Adcwuml hlnled Ihat tllcremaybcmoretlSt'S, andas such. theassoclmJon wanlli 10
Isk Ihe intcmallonailnstllule ofTmpical Agriculrure (IITA) to conduce mOIl' reseotrch into It 50 that farmers can aploil Its uses maximally, 'he way foreignen are asking for ii, It nlust be very spedal.lf we can sell thala5wcll in commercial quantities, it would Increase
Income from cauava: he said. 1he CilMilYiI fannen noted that fcnllb:en should be used minimally or nOI at all in Ihe produclion 01 these species of O1SS<IYa 50 Ihal the lea\'e5 would be laslY, Iwlnting out that when lenlllzcr is used, 01.11
cassava leaves may possess some medicinal properties, slncelhl:')' containseYlmll acth'C ingredients The raw lea\'e arc rich in crude fibre, protein and water, But the research reveals lhllt the cassava leaves and tube:n comain anu-nulrienlS which make them harmful and unsuitable for human consumption. elCepl after processitlg. So the commercial vi3bility 01 cassava leaves stems mainly from their use all ilnlmal le-ed
Tobacco growers' livelihood under threat REMI FEYI\IPO he livelihood of 800 lobacco growen in Oyo stale and olher paris of the counlry Is under Ihreat If the Framework Convention on Tobacco Conlrol (FCTC) proposaJsbytheWorld Htillth Organisation Is pused in Seoul. South Korea lIS plannlod. Rasheed Bakare chairman, Nigerian Independent Tobacco Assodation in lseyin. 010 State, told BusineuOay in an eJ:clusivlC Interview in Ibildan ·We ilre ilboUI 800 tobacco growers in Oyu IIate IUld other pans of the counlry. Wedoll'twanl the etadic:atlon of 10bacco phmting. We W<l1lI 10 be allowed 10 continue planting tobacco until the government gives us another cash crop to cullinte even though we plant other crops such cassava, ma:i7..e, yam IJld othen.. "So we appeal 10 the federal governmem to stand whh tobacco farmers agillnst the bID by WHO to be PIUed Into law, This proposal by the World Heillth Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Conuoliscalllng for the eradication of planting of tobilcco crops."
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are calling for the minister's unwavering support lor loba cco growers and an opposillon to any plans Ihal would Ihreilten oLlr livelihoods,· Bakare advised the durallOl1 ill10cued for planting of tobacco should be expanded. ",Ve have be:en plilnllng the tobilcco from March 10 August on the land RlIOCIIIted.Someofuscultinle tobacco On IWO to three hectares of land In iI year but recently it has ~n l1!duced 10 just one hectare. We appeal for the continued eslstence of tbe Tobacco Growers' Associallon and the bilddng ofthegow:mrnent on this. ·We 5Cek for opponunity Babre sald the propoSills by WHO Is 11 threat 10 to air our view$ to h.lghlIght liveJlhoods of more Ihiln 30 the advantages of growing million tobacco growers and tobacco. The Framework farm workers all over the Convention on Tobacco world. He ilppeaJed to the Control being proposed by federal ~mmenl olNigeria WIIO hili not hend the voice 10 oppose11which according of growers, We limply ask 10 him ·will be vOled In 11 to be heil rd and 10 become fewdil)'5'rrom now In Seoul,· pillt of the $olu l lon. We have not 80t any response South Korea: on Ihe letter we wrote Said he: -We hilve wrltlen yet to the federal governmenL \0 I.he federal governmenl, Apan from Ihe 800 tobilcco The leiter was sent to the honourable Min iste r of puwe:n In Nigeria. there all! about 10,000 workers and Agriculture ilnd Nalura.[ Resources, Akinwunml dependents in Nlgerlil who Adesio • . A. pan o r World derh~ their livelihood from Tobacco Growe.rs' Day, we tobacco growing business.·
According to Dakare. -robacco gTowlng has been going on since 1960 but the Nigerian Independent Tobilcco Association Is commg together for the first timethlsycar.lhe Association luppons the originill intent of Ihe FCTC's iIIticic 17 treaty, which was to provide technical and financial asiistance to ilid Iheeconomic IlOInsition of 10baCCO growers Hnd workers as a decline In tobacco production consumption resulted In
lower demand for our crop. However, the proposals under consi deration currently represent a departure from this origin ill goal as they seek to anificlal1y reduce the supply of tobacco without providing growers any VIable ilhemalNes to suppan their families. 'l,i5 is despite estimates thai demand for tobaccn wtll Increue in corning years. We sent the lener ovel two weeks ago. The association Intends to follow up witb
ilnotber lettel. Thc 0)'0 Slale government Is aware of this challenge tobacco farmen ilrt' facing '0 we UfO calling on Ihe leaden to oppose the biln on minimum 'up port prices lind leaf iluctions, restrictions on production by legulilting the 5usons when tobacco can ht: grown, reducing Hlea allocated for 10biCCO {illmlng. bannlllg technical suppon for 10bilCCO farmers ilnd iliso dismantlin~ all bodies ~nnecting growers with governmenu·
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