IFAD-VCDP Trains Women To Produce Confectioneries From Cassava

The International Fund for Agricultural Development, (IFAD) Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Niger State says it has trained 10 women on how to turn cassava by-products into confectioneries and food.
The State Programme Coordinator (SPC) Dr Matthew Ahmed, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Minna.
Ahmed said that the training, sponsored by the VCDP, took place at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, where the women were trained for one week.
He said that the training provided recipes for producing a variety of Vitamin ‘A’-fortified cassava by-products such as Combobits, Casmoi, Casarita, Vitamin ‘A’ Gari, Fufu, Custard and Caschin.
The State Programme Coordinator said that the essence of the training was to tackle malnutrition among the rural populace by injecting vitamin fortified cassava by-products into their daily food consumption.
“Nutrition is a key activity of the IFAD-VCDP; that was why we carried out a study which identified the nutritional gaps in various households.
“Therefore introducing vitamin `A’ into their meals will improve their nutritional intakes, and will go a long way in bridging the gaps.’’
According to him, the recipes’ production is an income generating activity aimed at empowering the women financially.
“Each of the women was supported with starter packs such as gas cylinder, ceiling machine, extruder and vitamin `A’ cassava floor to start business.’’
Also, the VCDP state Rural Institution, Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Officer, Hajiya Maimuna Ahmed, urged the trainees to step-down the knowledge they had acquired to women in their clusters.