A Port Harcourt-based
baker, Mr. Ibingo Sotonye has called on the federal government to extend its training programmes to bakers in Rivers State on the inclusion of 20 per cent cassava flour in bread production.
Sotonye, who made the appeal while speaking to our correspondent at the weekend, said since Rivers State was known for its high cassava production, it has “comparative” advantage on the production of bread.
Referring to the recent training of 140 master bakers from the North Central zone of the country on the roll-out training campaign facilitated by the federal government to drive the inclusion of 20 per cent cassava flour in bread making, the baker said Rivers bakers needed such support.
According to investigations by The Tide Business Correspondent, the two-day training which was held in Lafia, Nassarawa State, had 20 participants drawn from all the states in the North-Central zone.
The Tide gathered that the inclusion of the high quality cassava flour would reduce the cost of bread production while also putting an end to wheat importation which will in turn improve the quality of bread in the country.
Speaking at the event, the Assistant Chief Agriculture Officer, Root and Tuber Division, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Olajumoke Adewole, urged the participants to give the training the needed attention as the knowledge they stood to gain would boost the profitability of their businesses.
The initiative was appreciated as “a milestone towards self actualization,” by one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Mathew Olujede from Kogi who expressed satisfaction with the FG’s drive to complement their effort.