Cassava To Be Integrated Into Cross River Agribusiness Plan - Crop and Irrigation Commissioner

Cassava To Be Integrated Into Cross River Agribusiness Plan - Crop and Irrigation Commissioner

By:  © JAE MEDIA. 

In line with Governor Bassey Otu's resolve to eliminate wastes and subsidize productivity in the Agricultural sector, Cross River State Commissioner for Crops and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo has identified and prioritized Cassava as one of the value chains for integration in the Agribusiness plan of his Ministry.

This was made known during a meeting with the State Chapter of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association held recently in the Commissioner's Office, Calabar. 

Hon. Ebokpo observed that the major gap in the Cassava business was processing, noting that without the processor, other value chains of cassava cannot be effectively harnessed.

He assured the Cassava Stakeholders of better collaborations to bring to bear the revolutions in the sector, stressing that "we must drive Agriculture as the biggest contributor to Gross Domestic Product in the era of His Excellency Senator Bassey Otu."

In his address, the State Chairman, of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, The Venerable Augustine Oqua felicitated the Commissioner on his appointment and described the unbundling of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources into two specialized ministries (Crop and Irrigation Development and Livestock, Aquaculture, and Fisheries Development) as a very welcomed development in the agricultural sector.

According to the State Chairman, "The advantages of cassava cannot be overemphasized since it is our staple food and a God-given tuber to our generation for the eradication of hunger."

He maintained that Cassava can be used as a model crop to solve the challenge of food insecurity and highlighted some products that can be gotten directly from the cassava value chain including; garri, starch, cassava chips, ethanol, high-quality cassava flour, and cassava pulp.

Venerable Oqua further highlighted some by-products of the cassava value chain known as waste-to-wealth, including; cassava leaves and peels, fiber from cassava shafts, animal feed, and biogas ( methane gas).

The Cassava Farmers chairman among other recommendations called for the establishment of agro-processing industries including food processing, storage, and packaging units to add value to Agricultural produce, create employment opportunities, and increase income for farmers.

He expressed the association's readiness to partner strategically with the State Government to achieve the sustainable development goal for food security by 2030.