cassava farmer |
One of the local
food processors in Nimba County is calling on the government through the
Ministry of Agriculture for support so as to enable his entity carry on
more production in the country.
Speaking recently in Ganta, Mr. Sam Brown said his institution is
engaged in production and processing of local food to the best quality,
which is full of nutrition for any well meaning citizens.
Currently, he said,
they are engaged in the processing of cassava into what he described as
"super farina", containing all the best ingredients, different from the
usual preparation done by farmers.
"This super farina
can be eaten without adding sugar or any other thing," he said. "It is
well prepared and does not have any side effect."
Mr. Samuel S. Brown
is the proprietor of the S. Brown Institute, a vocational institution
that is training people in basic agriculture skills including the
preparation and processing of the local food items.
Brown, who has
traveled to Nigeria and saw how Nigerians process their local food for
consumption said, if empowered, he is able to produce more food items
that could feed the county and the country at large.
"We engaged in
local food production and processing in Ganta City in order to help feed
the citizens in Nimba and around Liberia, because it is disgraceful for
a country that cannot feed itself," he said.
"We have enough
food in Liberia to feed ourselves and to stop us from importing, but we
lack the skill of finishing it and again, we do not have the support to
produce enough for the masses," he explained.
On a tour of the
production or training site, several young women and men were seen
undergoing intensive two weeks training for the preparation of local
food items.
"Here, we process cassava and plantain into different long lasting food items," said one Miatta, 36.
"The institute is
open to everyone, no matter your level in life or school. And we are
calling on the government to help us in this process of producing and
processing what we eat," a 42 year old lady added.
However, the
institution is appealing to the government and any other well wishers
for assistance toward training more unskilled Liberians in food
processing so as to enable them to be self-employed.
"We want the
government to step in very fast, so we can curtail the importation of
some of this locally produced food items," Mr. Brown said.
"We import nearly
everything that we eat, which is making things difficult in the country
and some of these imported foods are creating serious health problems
for our people," he concluded.
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