Cassava farmers as well as processors and marketers of high quality cassava flour under aegis of Cassava Processors and Marketers Association have decried alleged withdrawals and borrowing from N10 billion cassava fund established by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, saying the action showed that the fund was being seriously threatened.
The scores of cassava farmers and high quality cassava flour processors and marketers rose at a two-day training held in Abeokuta recently to condemn holding on to the fund which they said that non-release of such a development fund was a huge disservice to cassava value chain development and a major reason for non growth and non inclusion of between 10 – 20% high quality cassava flour as composite flour for bread making.
It will be recalled that the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan approved N10 billion in 2013 for cassava bread initiative as part of blueprint for the holistic growth and development of cassava value chain for which Bill and Melinda Gates created a project tagged, “Cassava Adding Value to Africa (CAVA) which is developing the entire cassava value chain in Africa and particularly in Nigeria.
Speaking exclusively with BusinessDay in Abeokuta recently, Femi Salami, who spoke in behalf farmers processors and marketers of high quality cassava, said it was unfortunate that the Nigeria Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh could say publicly in a broadcast interview that he didn’t know much on the cassava fund and the Ministry even borrows from the fund, from time to time.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
