Wednesday, M. IY 9, 2012
o. 'W.
TIHSDAV. \'ol. 17.
Par 1.5
The Cassava Bread Initiative t may ha,'e been wcU intentioned but ir there is a prevailing opinion. it is that the su""",,, mte of U.. policy is doubtful. Presidenl GoodJuck Jonathan recenUy. in front or tclevision cameras, shared a loaf of unsweetened bread wilb 40 percent ~va Ilour input ",;UI his ,"ice president and ministers. He has "owed the bread would beeome a staple on his breakfast table. ~'lbe JJ.::st way ,"e can grow our economy and create jobs for our people is (or us to patronise igerian made goods;' hc said. Last week. the president formall y lounened Ibe commercialisation of Ibis bread to OOootthe gm'ernment"s policy and encourage thl' substitution of quality cassa>.,. nour for wheat in bread baking. There are SOl ne fonn of incentives and fiscal measu re, to encourage the policy. tillers will ellioy a corporate tax rebates, and equipmcnl ror processing the cassava nour and composite nour blending wiU atlmet duty free regime. TIle bakeries will ha" e 18 months to make the transition. And to d iscourage and curb igerian appetites for 100 percellt wheat bread and olber confectioneries (which cost thc go\emment a staggering $3.9bil~on annually in imports) wheat Dour" iU aUract a further levy of 65 percent to bnng the executive duty to 100 percent; wltih' grains will aUrd<...1 15 percent more in addition to the eAisLing 5 percent. ''Our polici.. are directed al creating new market opportunities for fanners." said Dr. Akin Adesina. the agricullure mini>ter. Bul many are still not t..'O minccd that the government has lbe po~ticaJ \\ill to see the policy through. For one. the 40 percenl canvassed ca~n a Dour iuput is ambitious. Some few years back. President Olusegun' Obasallio a pfro"ed and pursued the poocy of 10 percent cassa"a nour inclusion in
I
nour
bread baking. Many of UII>Se \\ ho were "privileged" to taste the bread conressed it was not an easy bite. Soon, the millcrs went to work and started lobbying for" reduction of the cassava content of the bread and succeeded as go"emment slashed the percentage by half and e\'cn \\orse. eventually threw out the entire policy. What then makes the present go\'emment think it can enforce a 40 percent cassava policy? Even at tha t, Ibere ha.'e been other ~cy fC\'ersaIs with regards to cassava. bldeed, as far back as the early years of the structw"al adjustment programme, the country's lnIde policy was targeted at promoting agricultural exports and cu rtailing agricultural raw material imports. But after the initial success the policy was more or less abandoned. And in 2002, U.. federal government launened the
l...f....wt:Rs &
CO'IPA.'Y LL'IrJ11.J)
EdiIor~: hdubOtNqbcna
"'- o:-.J.._
En.cJiI,8cIb.~~.l...tI~
5lfnon KoIawoIe. F.mnInud Den. '(byode Somu),I'fo'Io.N.ty.RIIIIh ~
MIocblt IHrtc&ors:
Ptla-1..-qbu, I..abIkeYerrM
c-.I'''''''''''
FddiI EIcma. FWD &om Grvup l"-ls: Ftn.1bWIIhe, ~ a.-.
....., a.-.lIJodD~ NttIk_ An Oiruwr. ~ Qabulku [J U- ' of Printift&~: Cb Ann ~
Coumd:
1biWI~.aua.>e
lzqba (N..,·,CapW)
Ilirmorfll l'boIuf;Japllj . s..... s.n.t-Cole
PresidentiailniLiaLi'e on Cassava, aimed at creating awareness among ranners on the vast opportunities in the world market. Measures were put in place ror farmers to increase U,eir area of cultivalion while the Inlernational Instilute for Tropical Agriculture came in to support the initiati\'e by introducing and promoting wide varieties or C3SS3\'a to the ranners and further facilitaled the establishment of processing centres and fabricating enterprises. 1uch was in\'t~ted , but not much was reaped because there was no follo\\-up. By the projections of that period, igeria should by now producing some ISO million tonnes of cassava annuaUy. One of the reasons touted for the railure of the 10 percent cassam po~cy was shortage of supply. E"eI' though the country is stiU the world's largest producer or Cassava 3134 million Ionnes, U.. difference in Ute figures between when the so-called initiative started and now is measly, because \\e lost the momenlUm. Mor'e(ner. s uch cassava products ~e Dour, starch. enips included in import prohibition list were reversed. Indeed the common external tariff that was running herore the pre. sent appropriations allowed any cassava products cxceptthe tuber to be imported. Failed ~cies, and there are strings of them on cassava, discourage business while holding back polential in'·05lors. TI, ... is no doubt Umt if properly implemented, the cassava initiative can create jobs and stimulate Ute developmenl of the rural communities. But this gm'emment has to pro\'e tltat it can succeed where others ha\'e failed.
nour
LETTERS leiters (or publiulion should be em.1Ued 10: opinion thi~cby live.com or ~ddrH,ed to The Edllor. THISDAY. 35, Creek RO.1d Ap~p. , P. O. Box 54749, hlomo. Ilcoyi. t..gOll or fn 10: 234-1-4600267,3203038 II: 08022924nl . lellers musl be s hort . nd not more th.1n 250 word~
nnfIOt
A,
be ipIf:Rd
me
AntomW people
'\IID'C' 10 produo..'Ie tit Dittt JO"etOOI' of Dr.1la SUlle In lOU, a ttllll:J'flnt of lhelr \IAKJII .bouMt be ck..riy ";II ed If you do not ha' e a plan ror lire, )'OlI hroe .wd-dn! 10 roff:( to .... hen lou ...., 10 mUc wre you are • on trId: The JOlInIE)' 10 Qoo. nnmcnt House, Aut. d not lID US)' drive buill _ , . . bq'.m and
Ihcrt b 110 JOIftI t.c ~ Bill btm ..~ ~ed. Id IK rtnl 5eCUn:; ourwhcs Ihc .m""'~ to these ~
Anioma and Blueprint of Vision 2015 • hl, IR: "'t:' ....hcR: are we: ,",11 , - and ''''''ho In W't pre!<UIIUII U .lllf COft!aaUII can.~ rMIIef of r.cc, a c~.a 0( our 0'0''lI KientJ· t} m God '" III lID doubt put US (WI the pan 0( SUttaIi I" our qwII 10 0CC1lp)' thc number
one
our tJadilll'Oll ru~ "'00 I n !he cusaodtan5 01 our cultlft 10 pbK cducarc: our poIitJ CMM on tht Mib,F1 miller lAe mU~1 alto an~"""er the quuttoll. '"" ~ arc W't lOIn,'" Our ~Inauon m~ be clclr1y JUlIed Ind defined; and !hl$ reqUII'H effCClIVC
ple
.I!h
... A.,.
~ 01 Ihc Male come 20 15 II IS a trap), for a pe0OI)C to d~ !hetr own wuque and iRqllaceable ideft.. 0:)', But I feci ~ c:Kh lime !he ,yearly AnlOmW day cdcbratioII coma up 1 tay tudol
to the orsanlJCrJ of RICh epoch-mat...,. anouaJ cvaY
this IdcnlIC)' tbII f'!' .. idYKtu.aI or puup olindl· ¥Jduah !he «lUn:ft 10 puRIlIC Ihclr dream, 1 the.rcrtft WJC
11
1.1
panmn, (Ihal muse ~tan..,...)
,...,
GoYemmcnl
(!XUI
Houle, Aut.
IS
our
de5lIOW'
records
arMt
anlccedeDlS'1
Does he poucu tht qualities rcqwm! of a JOOd k:adcr" b he Ihc kJrMt ofllKhvldtA] who belle\'H lhal leaden l!Ie\'C:f dcs~ 10 kad, bw 10 1Cfve'1 Does he have, ,uldu!1 VI~ and pioIrpote IhaI juRiries hIS eff0l11 An old ~ NY'.
"Hc""hodoct noc know ""~ he'. Pili Will pmlMbty end 1CIIme.. hcn! elsc' ObvIOUSI)'. ""~ I~ d no " ISKIn . lhe people caSI oIr
up
..
Our pohucallcadm Ihould know md YCr)' well _ rduK 10 be bouahl OYer or CC*tIC 10
"""", Tht
thea' dtrccI......hIch will lUIOmIIucwlly allCr our
lS !Itt)' Imponanl for all
chMJe
dcst.-.on Thudl),. ",,110
..
In
:e~~n~ ~C:
moM pDIfII'Uf\Il farce IQ hfe IS !he rorce of "111OO...t II
JOUmq and WUUle lbe An-om. conpns .nd tht: ~ubIequeDI InAUlurahon of UC05 tnmetune '10 "'CR
applauded by many The body thaI has Chid 8cnjanun Bill:. ... _ _ c( ~
N
Ihy 00 ew1h t1lll eo."fl
done Wltbnul \ f JCn II d tbt WIUfC't iDf hope 01 Me It ~ "tperallve rhM for any ~iq:Ml:nl and tn¥m11OO 10 be accw IPIl5hed. Ibc I.....,. . powa 'II Vl5100
r
(lth,n.lIONtor'lOtewor
Della Swc as cha.trman .. ~ .. "h tht responsitxhIy of 1ft'"1 thai: !he best <:andidale II soncd QUI and pre' senled The: AnlOml pcopk UJIC lum and hi' ecan 10 check YCI')' well tht chatw:ter of wboeYer they ~ JnKntJnl. ~ve:
AltJ!;wM !OnS ...t daust*n 10 understand dbs f.cc III lIus
01 ethQlC bK:t· ptlUnd IMI ... beclc:lOOed our vdian ror 10 lon" It is an obvious f.cc thai: !be quality
CNCl&!
of~lSthc~of
JUIce
ol our poIillClll
our Ic.adcnhlp effca,YCnCSS, A ,""lVwomaJI 0( pXId chancter "'III Ihow u:ro IQIerancc to conuJIC,on I.nd inonhnlle ambIhOfi 10 acqu~ wealth to Iht dctnmcnl of tbc ~ he
""""'"'~ ThcterCR . IfIIoC
fJIould have will. ralhn !han mere ",libel
wMc sull),cqlfnl our eyes on the mar\: We bel)CYC .. ,th all our hewn dill " ' _ 'I the kC) 10 opcmnl Ihr ,ale 10 Oovt-mmcrtt liouse Auba and "'~ m&ut Mndlr Ihq key With u1moM ~ and
,..,Jdom
10 lhal
lhe d~.m
of an
AnlOma _ or cbuJ,hICf btcomln. lhe JO¥Cf1'C"I' of
Delta Scate ralilY
·o."'n
to
20 15 wlll be a
a.r..
"r.a,,'O~.~
-~
.wu..,.m.tJe,...o..u..d: