Th ursday, February Z. 2012
TIUSDAY. Vol. 17, lJo.. 6128, P.ge 2S
FEATURES Cassava Bread... FG, Bakers Parley on Way Forward Recently in Abuja, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akin Adesina, hostedJour major bakers in Nigeria. The meeting is in tandem with the Federal Gavernment's quest to promote cassava flour in bread making. 'Lola Adewoyin writes
M
imsu:r of AgncuilufC and Rum OeveloppJ£Ol, Or. Abo Ades.lna, Iw e.IIpressed IIIOfT}' over the buae forcip uchange the counuy loses annually to imponalion of wbel! and dcclam:l tbal for now, two-fifth of !he amount would be .aved If cuuva flour lubstilule iluscd by bak.en. TIle minislU made ltUs known recently in AlJuja while rec:eivinl four major bakery operalOfS ID his office. Adc5ina disclosed dw HI ~uon. the oounay wtUld ae&~ employment for. 101: of Nitcrians through the opponuniLies thai would be created in the coone of IUmmg cassava in lO flour rOl" bakencs and ~fectJonenCi . MNlgeria's food import bill is uceptionally NP.; wi th the
lop four importS eonsurrUng OYCl' ~ 13 lriUioo ill foreign exchan¥c cvety year. Our food Imp0n5 art growing I' In \lnsuswnable nile of II pel celli per annum. rueling domesLie mfl.uOIl and dnvlDI povrny. We an: Importing products thai we caD cubEr produce HI abundance, such &$ N)S6 bd lion worth of nee, N217 bllllOll wonh of lugar and N!il7 billion worth of fish ; or are. Imporun& products ttw we can easily find Ioc::al alternatives for to reduce OUl'"lmport bill, luch as N63S billion being spent on wheat imponlUOd. Pm qUite simply. Imparl dependency is neither acceptable nor sustain-
able fiSCllly, ecQnonucait) oc pohtiCllly:' tile minister laid . EJopn::ss1D1 dasltiSfacUOQ wllh the present Situation, Aliesina Slid M\IoC must reduce Nlleria 's lrowlng depend . ence on Impone,j food . 11115 Import Ui:pendency is hUrling Nigerian farmeB . displacing local production and creating nsinl unentploymcm Our unemployment rtie is spualLng. IncrelSlng from 12 .7 per ttJlt m 2007 10 20.6 pc:!"" cenl In 20 10. driven by a wave of four million young people emu-
mg the workforce every year, with only Ismail fraction able to lind fOffiUlI employmelll . As we examine the oppDnunilies 10 'Ultalnably reduce OW" food Import bill. CU5Ilva IS 1 crop that pi"OYKies uemeodous potenual. ""Casslva is I.D Q.a:ptiOCJally Imponant crop to our nauon . Nigeria is the world', IlUIl:lIt producer of t:tiUya With I.Dnual production Cltrl"endy II 40 ml li lOll melnC lOllS. Despite Nllena's posItion IS the huJCSI prod~ of cassava In die world. Nigeria is not a player onlhe global cassaVi mllliet. So, While beillg the largest producer in the. world. Nigeria accounts for zero pet cenl of llobai trade in valLI(" added cassaYli products. while Thailand. wtoch represents only 10 pel'" cent or the toW prodOCIion in the world, 8CcotJn15 fot 80 per amt of the Iloba1 tnIdc in cassava value added products." He upreued delilhl al the visit of chid executivC5 of fOUT nutpbakerics.SlYlns. ~wday. we have fourorthe IIlJC$I bakeries In Nilma togethet" producinl over S.IJ. nullion loaves of bn:ad I month. reachmg out LO suppon Ihe PresIdent Il5 he works 10 creme markets for millions of fumers nnd rescue our rural economteS across Ihe nahon ." He , then:f()ft:. expressed grautude rot "\he comnUlment of
--Abuja: Their Capital, Our Destination Oty C-"fiwoPrZ,-'_ _ ha\'e ctisled in OUT AGIS 1)'$ti!ID. they become dual allocation or douhIe a1Iocatit:wI and 10 we br.oe ,topped 1haI. On rnaJrinr; house. raJIlIi m Abu... lIIfoobbie. !he MInister said die nunlJIJ)' is comin& up with • BillID rquIatc the ~ qime in the ICtriltwy. He. said thiJ has bcccmc irnminenl because it is DDt fairfor IOmebody 10 be asked 10 U5e biJ 5alary 10 PlY NSOO, (KXJ, N2nJiJlkwl. NSmilion, fur IWO bedroml ar three bedn:Jom fbi when his 0\\In ICtUa1 eamut! " not up 10 thM. "That b; enc:ooraging: c::arrupIion and JO'oU11IIEnl hal 1 respong"bili!y 10 do that C'\Ial if we an: ~in& from the. dlM:lop:d soc:iecie5, sud! IS London, P&ris and ~ ID dac placa people PlY for htJtLqs Itr weeb and tlDIIhI. ~Why are we IIlSi$tina on r;r.u years, why Ill\: ""''e insisting on filii: yeaB and dten the value is 50 high bcymd the affordable kYel rI oar ""'-.=s and eamiDp. Of CCllmiC L Nigerians 8J!: fon:ed to JO the Olber way round 10 make: 00110 JaY for n:nt, school fees. We will man iRm: Ifw the Nigeria pubIk ",TCtCn! tmd Ibm private w.ctor 00UI1ICfpIlrU pay raus !hill they cnn afford gcquiocIy and smoen:ly:" [n I!ddition to tIus, Mohammed $lid the ministry is eflCOlllaging dI:vekIpmcnt of ma5$ bw5lng In the utdlite toWnS und Olhef" pla;:es IlIiIhin the. CIty and "v.-e M"III: made a lot cf alloc. DOn along Itu!t line:' In !he jJISI.. bJildh,@thesel11ll!>!ihDusel:di!placed the mdiJCOCS. The. MiDistu said the Asue. or taettling the aborigines of the terriIoIy has I1IX been~ . HI! agreed the thm: haYe been ~ 1fl the III"I!Hi of n:&etIlement and ~ bec:au5Je whit _ recp.tR was more IIwl Nln 10 &eOk: abe onlmal scnJcn. "'Ibc issue of smling indi.senes. we ha~ 10 make sun: it ttoe. not n::IIT irs hewt In the R:T." "n.- ~ time it has Ixcn I big ~ whea )'00 hElve Niaeri-rs IMn& in the IC:ITiItJry tbIt is repnia:las a no 1f\ILIl" land and Ihc:y are 00l bc:inc ~. ~ 8J!: not bdfll JC5CItkd ~ and !hey impira&r: on the ~klpnolI ofinfnl.. strucnD"e because nil !he disuias an: IIlIlIXd after IOWDS that onaioaIIy Ktlkd bere.. Ooly WIne and MWIamIa lie fully 5ClIkd ill Saboo -Wuse. WhI::n:a we are buikfiIl& house5 within the ciIy bocaIIe the concept 01 ~ bas ~ re-conocpIIliIliIod 10 bring ~ So, r.:Jtha- than caking people OUI of their renitory tb::y m beinJ iIuegrBIed in !he city. Yet, _ Ib!', have ~ Iwgeapilal outby rcquin:d 10 build hou!cs
farthcm. "Ew:n when the hoo5a an: bein& builL, they do 00l capt1R
lite colOR and trIdition.. They ~ built in IUCb a mIOIICJ that !hey 1ft: ju.st one room blOOldlody with IMIe M-..:s and filii: kidi. So they k11 them and JO 10 another place. to ~ie because !hey we k:iths .., kim.. This furWr aggr.I\"IIlI:!I the ~ and «Alip.. . pOOIc:m. a ....ac:r Ih:u ir becomes . tJdical ~ We _ zqjlcrm Jbk lIP DIn~ o-..:r this p-obIem. Thar ~ why we _ brinp\g a new
Bunerfields. UTC, Le"entiS and the Wi lson Foods and Confectioneries and all Others ""ho are hen todlY. IIlcluding the International Institute far TroplCl.! A;nculture. for their 5Uppon 10 IJlaSI produce. the 4() pet eenl CIS'lI1II ~ ." Adesllll. SlId MCIlSSlYllIiumerI In Nip'" face hucc: cha]· Jenlell. mcludllllI lock of ICttU to high) iekllng \-aneIJeS . limited ICCeS5 to apPmpnule ellWlva pro..C5 ,In, 1CC1tno101ie5 and hllhly volaule pnce JWlllgl fOl" CasW . 1 due 10 poorty developed marUlS. and 1t.mc:nled thal - hIS poor markd developmenl hu caused the poee or c:asSllIll to plummet from N20.ooo per metnc Lon during the PresiJc:ntiai IlIIlillive 00 CIUIYl to as low II NS.ooo pet melnc tun tod:ay. 1be price is 50 low that many farmtts hive: J.band>.m.:d wu fteldl . is Ihe COSI of harvesting ca.~VI 15 higher th.m the VlIlue they Will receive: for the ctiSSnV1I This creales ,I liLIJlnion where fumers saw In hope and reap In lears. -w.. mU5ttum this around by cn:allnl lie' , m.Mtet., forcas· sa\'ll . 1be Federal Gol/"tmmenl'S CUSIV , T~fCif1T1lluon Plan calls for a sharp focus on dlvcrsifyi ng proJua WId market oppanunllles for cu.sm'. for our fanner \\e arr:: worting aglresslve:ly 10 CTe<:lIt: sustainable vuJue dlll"\5 fIY cas5I\"1II Ind 5lablhy: pnces for fantJeB Our mlf" fo.;u , 15 >]A high qullll' Iy cassava flour for use In composlLe fl()ur , to )Cubstitute for JOmI! of IIle wheat nour belli! Imported · At Lhe meeting . MlfUlJln.! DIn:ctorJO::f-O , lITe Ni! .. ril Pic, Foluso Olamyan . saw MLIle push by !be Federal Government for the mclusion of 40 per cent High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCf) In lhe produclioll cf bread 15 achicv· ab~ With the coopcrlUOO of manufacwren; and leadinl R
corpon.le
bakers like lITe
now
Nirenl Pk:. lITe r.. lgenl1
IJ
posi-
lioned 10 be pan of this mililtive. Our \1rsl demoIteit run of ClUlva based bread dates bKk to 2007. BlUed on the findings from ibIS demo. we CIIlI conlideruly say 'Iff balle. the capabililies to panner With the Federal GoYemmelil in IhiS regard . "UTC Ni~1 Pic tw; ICluJ.lly gone al'ead to malch the quality oithe br-ead produced from the 1iQCf' """ith that of 100 per cenl wheat nour. ThIS _ miliauve wil defmJlely ~uire addilion.allll\·wmcni In prodllCUon. waret..)uslng. ujd distri· bullon facilities; nonetheless, the benc:fit~ h the tonI- term 10 the populace and the economy outweigh lit : chlltlenges at the inttoducuxy phase. Thu. policy should he 'i.dly impkmenll'!d and made pan of our food JUffickncy prorramme bcJcn the year 2020 stnlel,e fond plan 15 formul .tLtd and Implement-
"'.Also. -
Chief Execulive Officer. Wilson Foods and Confectionenes. With branches In IVn HII"COWl. Lal,'05 . lbadon. Abu}l. Enugu Md Calabar, Dr Ss.muel Wilson. expressed suppon foc lhe bread. adding that his company biI5 not only been producml cas",' "" brad since Lhe ume of Pn:sidenl Oluse~un Obast.njo. but hid tuned I school for Ir"linmg people on how 10 male 1S.o"'1ed prodUCll with cassava flour. He said hiS company has be<!n nlakin! pastries and confedJOnenes since 1973 Chicf EAecUiIve: OffICer and Founder f)Od COIJCCpU LuI. maker of Buuerfield bread, Mr. DcJI AkinY l nJu . salll hiS com· pany "believes lhal the producllon of ca.~sa ,I bn:1d presents a hUJe opportumly 10 boo5t !be Nigerian «I.,nomy. My GIIani· satlOlllS conurnllinS Its ~ 10 panner With the Mmisuy of Agricullure 10 deve~ and adopI a C(;JT!mcrcially viable pl'OCeSIi 10 produce. the Nigerian Loaf. -Bull£rlleld Bakery currently bu the ne wort; and Clpacily to produce and 5l.Ipply the __ etiSlva bread Mllonally. We an: pannenng and supponmg thIS lflillali'V'C &0 inc:rcJ.SC the consumption of CD.SSaYll in Nigeria. 1bc- IlPlcultulli1 5eClor in Nileri. is a I.ey stnttepc prioriLY for r-ocd Cona:pu Pic in liShl of the ongoing challenge of food secunty III Afnca and we an: wilhng to contribule OW" mc:anlllgful quota 10 Lbe growth of Ihe social and econortllC develOJ.mertt of this irClor which will in lurn pul food 00 the lIbles of QIl Nigerians. -Wheo rannm an: encowagcd 10 plaot more and youths ate ctUUlDelied IOWartb agriculI~, they Wlluki yiekl additJon.. .. aI reward at !be end of txh K~. This. in lurn, would drive ~ Nigerians to partICipate in the: agncliliural KaOl" of the: Nigerian economy:iD5leid of Op!in! far "",Jule collar jObI and Nigeria will be on the path 10 c:conomK r-c:coYa"J".~ Akillyanju
CtiSa'"
oid.