The Acting Managing Director BOI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju |
The Bank of Industry (BOI) has said the processing of High
Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) embarked upon by the Federal Government during the
last administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been well
supported across the six geo political zones of the federation to ensure the
needed processed quantity to millers for 10% inclusion to all bakeries.
Responding to question from Food Farm News at the just concluded Daily Trust Agric conference
held at Abuja, the Acting Managing Director, Mr. Waheed Olagunju stated that
the bank has assisted many processors across the geo political zone towards
making available HQCF to millers for further inclusion into wheat related food
so as to reduce billions of naira monthly incurred on importation.
The BOI mandate, according to Mr. Olajunju, was
to make loan available to agro processing entrepreneurs in the agricultural
production that have comparative advantages over others saying assistance has
been given to cassava processors across the six geo political zone to meet the
demand of millers especially for the HQCF inclusion .
This position of the BOI Acting MD
may not in any way conform with the cassava farmers and processors stand as
they have demanded the where about of 2.1 billion deposited into bank for the
purpose of facilitating 10 million naira for each processor of HQCF for further bakeries’ inclusion.
There have been allegations that
even though the Federal government during the last administration had distributed high quality cassava cutting to
farmers for planting towards substituting 10% wheat flour by the time they were
harvested, most of them could not be processed due to none assistance from the
BOI thereby leading to post harvest loss for many farmers as there are no off
takers.
But all these allegation was
knocked out by the BOI boss saying assistance have been given to cassava
processors across the six geo political zone of the federation adding the
support was still an ongoing thing for all the processing cluster across the
country.
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