The Nigerian Flour Mill
will soon start the production of sucrose from cassava in Shao, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara, an official, has said.
The state Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ilorin, Mr Buhari Adebisi gave this indication in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday.
“There is so much market internally; the major challenge is how to produce enough for our own consumption,’’ he said.
According to Adebisi, cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize and a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.
It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.
Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporting country of dried cassava.
In Kwara, cassava is mainly used in producing food items such as ‘Lafun, Garri’ and starch.”
Adebisi implored farmers to concentrate on cassava production for local consumption.
He said that increasing land pressure, population growth and expansion of area under cultivation resulted in the evolution of storage of dried cassava chips in the northern part of the country.
The director further said that changes in farming systems had affected the cassava harvesting and storage patterns.