Cassava Farmers Tasks SMEs On Raw Material Sourcing

The chairman of the Cas
sava Growers Association of Nigeia, (CGAN), Abua/Odual chapter, Chief Rufus Amopho has called on enterprenuers in the country to avail themselves of the availability of cassava as a major production component.
Amopho who spoke to our correspondent in Port Harcourt yesterday against the backdrop of increased cultivation of cassava said the development has reduced the challenge faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in sourcing for raw materials.
He said the massive production of cassava has boosted the processing of the product into flour even as he called on the governments especially of the grassroots to encourage the establishment of cottage industries.
“Now that the support for autonomy for local governments is high, let them begin to set up cottage industries that produce flour from cassava,”  he said.
According to the CGAN boss, the local governments were at an advantage in service delivery  to the people especially in such local governments like Abua/Odual, Etche, Omuma, Ikwerre, Emohua Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Gokana amongst others.
Furthermore, he said these  local government areas had comparative advantage in the production of cassava in the country.
Throwing more light, he explained that more farmers were now cultivating cassava due to the availability of ready markets across the country.
Amopho said that due to the support  farmers had from government  in recent times, processing of cassava  into flour has become easier.
According to him, the main challenge of the supply of raw materials was now a thing of the past as more farmers now know that their buyers were always ready for them.
On the challenge facing cassava processors, Amopho said even with  improved rural roads, the challenge of power supply was still there.
“Power supply has not improved at all and entrepreneurs are still depending on other sources”,  he said.
He further called for the sustenance of the 10 per cent cassava flour inclusion in bread production to ensure food security.