Agriculture • Created July 25, 2013 06:00

Cassava will become like oil and gas – Dr Fregene

Dr Fregene made this statement during a media briefing during the lunch of Cassava Roll-out and Commencement of Business in Stable Crop Processing Zone (STCPZ) in Agbadu in Kabba/Budu Local Government Area of Kogi State.The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said that the federal government is considering a proposed N10 billion […]

Cassava will become like oil and gas – Dr Fregene
Cassava will become like oil and gas – Dr Fregene

Dr Fregene made this statement during a media briefing during the lunch of Cassava Roll-out and Commencement of Business in Stable Crop Processing Zone (STCPZ) in Agbadu in Kabba/Budu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said that the federal government is considering a proposed N10 billion cassava fund that will further explore potentials of the cassava industry in the country.
Represented by the Senior Technical Assistant to the Minister, Dr. Tunji Oredipe, Adesina lamented that Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world with a total production of 40 million metric tons but contributing close to zero percent in terms of global value for trade in cassava-based products.
Dr Oredipe said the idea of stable crop processing zone is an innovative policy to make sure that the country has infrastructure line up to support the agricultural revolution that the nation engages in. He stressed that the Stable Crop Processing Zone is a meeting point where things are made to work for farmers.
In his remarks, Kogi State Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, said the state government is keying into the programme in order to boost agricultural production in the state. He said the government has provided 250 hectares of farmlands to farmers in the state for the programme.
The cassava rollout programme is a joint project between the federal and Kogi State governments with support from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture which provided the cassava stem varieties and Brazilian farmers providing the mechanized technology as project consultant for the processing zone.

Tags