By Jimoh babatunde, with agency reports

The Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr. Peter Hartmann,  has said that value addition to crops like Cassava require more attention than ever before to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

Apart from improving farmers’ incomes, value addition has the ability to address the increasing level of unemployment in Nigeria, according to Hartmann who was represented by Dr. Gbassey Tarawali, a scientist with IITA, at a stakeholder forum to mark the end of the CFC-funded Cassava Value Chain Project in Nigeria.

Implemented by IITA and its national partners, Hartmann says the establishment of cassava processing centers in Masaka, Lafia and Kuje for the production of gari, fufu, cassava flour and starch is producing positive results by offering new streams of incomes to the benefiting communities.

With an annual production of about 44 million tons of cassava, Nigeria is today the world’s leader of cassava, but the country is yet to harness the maximum benefit from cassava due to inadequate processing facilities. This, subjects the crop to seasonal glut.

“This is an area that needs urgent attention,” Hartmann said.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi said value addition to cassava would help turn around the fortunes of farmers.

Represented by Mr. Julius Apanisile, the permanent secretary said cassava offered tremendous opportunities that would further broaden the country’s economic viability and improve its competitiveness particularly in the non-oil sector.