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FG to earn $1.37bn from cassava chips exports

By on July 6, 2013

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinnwnmi Adeshina,  has said that Nigeria will this year, earn between $802 million to $1.37 billion as exports of dried cassava chips to China and Europe, adding that Nigeria’s earnings increased by N759 billion in 2012 through effective and aggressive Federal Government-led agricultural drive.

Adeshina said that proposed huge international earnings from the exportation of value-added dried cassava chips would be realisable through an effectively secured financing of over $200 million for 18 private sector-owned large scale cassava plants with 1.3 million metric tons capacity per year and the provision of agricultural inputs through Federal Government-backed Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) for small-holder farmers.

The minister, who delivered a keynote address at the 40th National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development held in Abeokuta lat week, explained that 100 million farmers had so far been registered by the Federal Government-led Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), adding that Nigeria produced 1.79 million metric tons of cassava in both main and dry seasons last year.

He said that Federal Government, having observed the increasing Nigeria unfavourable balance of payment receipts, had intensified move on a strategic shift from oil-dependent economic status to agricultucure-based economy that would provide adequate leverage on where the country has a comparative advantage, which is agriculture, to diversify economy to create jobs and ensure food security.

He decried Nigeria’s status of being a net importer of goods, just as he said that Nigeria spends 60 cents on importation of goods and services in return for every one dollar she earns from foreign countries of the world, but he, however, assured the populace that President Goodluck Jonathan-led agriculture initiatives will address all the perceived anomalies in the agricultural sector of Nigerian economy.

The minister added that, as part of Federal Government’s efforts to intensify moves on large-scale and exports-based cassava farming and processing, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would soon set up a large-scale cassava processing plant with a production of 70,000 metric tons at a location in Ogun State, adding that Ogun State Government had been a partner in progress as regards Federal Government’s agriculture drive, especially on cassava production.

 

 

 

[Vanguard]