FG assures cassava farmers of support, to provide credit facilities
By Bilal Omeiza
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has said that the federal government would ensure the provision of credit facilities to cassava farmers.
In his keynote address at the Pan-African Quality Infrastructure, Africa Cassava Conference Tuesday in Abuja, Kyari said the government would also ensure that affordable insurance and legal services are available to farmers/players in the sub-sector.
The minister said that for Nigeria to enjoy the benefit of being the world largest producer of cassava, the country must be willing to promote and develop cassava and its derivatives leveraging on the country’s comparative advantage of the commodity.
He said, “The key opportunity areas in quality and standardization which can drive the sustainable growth of the cassava derivatives should include: Increasing investment opportunity in the establishment of cassava derivatives.”
The Minister said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMA&FS) is continuously working to enhance the Cassava Value Chain as a “reasonably good and consistent quality is seen by operators as key element for keeping customers’ loyalty and assuring prices.”
Speaking further, Kyari explained that “The theme of the Conference – “Stimulating Africa’s Industrialization through development of cassava-based products and assuring quality along cassava value chain” is very apt at this time when quality of the cassava product is a key for successful supplies and demand of such products. Also,
“Cassava is recognized as a staple crop and one of the major sources of carbohydrate for human consumption as well as other industrial uses, this is why the Ministry will continue to support the development of the commodity in Nigeria.
“The Africa Cassava Conference is welcomed as the importance of ensuring standardization in derivatives of cassava products cannot be over emphasized. Providing good quality cassava derivatives will facilitate increase in local and export demand of the product leading to enhanced efficiency and production of the crop. The outcome of the conference will no doubt bring about increase in the average yields in cassava: promote the stakeholders revenues: incorporate quality control Inspection and certification system: encourage appropriate technology for rapid multiplication of the cassava and create jobs and wealth for the Nigeria citizens.
“Let me use this opportunity to commend the efforts of African Union Commission, other partners and private sectors for organizing this Africa Cassava Conference 2023 in Nigeria as this would facilitate how stakeholders can work to develop a robust, commercially driven and economically viable cassava sector that will not only contribute to food and nutrition security but also increasingly contribute to growth of the commodity in Nigeria and Africa as a continent,” the minister said.
He assured stakeholders in the sub-sector that the ministry will continue to support its agencies in your efforts to promote boundless opportunities that exist in the cassava sub-sector for all stakeholders.
The conference was powered by African Union Commission (AUC) in conjunction with Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) agenda to boost Intra-African Trade (BIAT) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) objectives.
