In a bid to promote value addition in cashew production, the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has donated a cashew shell nut oil extractor machine to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
In a statement, Abiola Adeagbo, state coordinator RMRDC, while presenting the machine disclosed that the council is poised at developing local industries.
Adeagbo said that RMRDC has realized the enormous work being carried out on cashew in the University both in research and teaching as well as on the cashew kernel snacks, adding that such work prompted the council to partner with the University.
“The University is having combined advantage, particularly in the area of cashew and we are developing local contents, certainly, we have to key in to them and work together, so that we can move the commodity to the next level”, he said.
He commended FUNAAB for putting into good use previous facilities donated by the council, saying it has encouraged them to continue with the partnership. He stated that the machine will bring about employment generation to FUNAAB and Nigeria as a whole.
Professor Kolawole Salako, vice-chancellor of FUNAAB commended the RMRDC for fulfilling its part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the University and promise to donate a cashew shell nut oil extractor machine to the institution.
Salako, who noted that the extractor machine will add value to the University’s Cashew Processing Unit, saying that it would also improve the economic status of the institution.
“What you should know about value-addition for any raw material like cashew, cassava and the rest is that once you process them further, you have added value,” he said.
“The machine will be used to extract industrial products like oil and the rest, that will be useful in some industries,” he further said.
He further added that the machine which will be used for commercial purposes at a premium scale and will assist in generating funds for the institution.
Josephine Okojie
