How Oyo govt can achieve abundant food production, reduction in prices — Don

Having agricultural produce in large quantities in Oyo State has been said to be capable of bringing about abundant food production, reduction in food prices, create jobs and generate revenue for the state. 

Former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, The Polytechnic Ibadan, Dr Kamorudeen Yusuff, stated this while delivering the 3rd valedictory lecture of the school with the topic:’Pragmatic Approach To Job Creation, Food Security And Revenue Generation In Oyo State’ held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Dr Yusuff posited that aside the abundance of food and price reduction, more jobs will be created and more revenue will be generated if the state embark on agropreneurship. He noted that agropreneurship involves processing the raw agricultural products into finished goods using machines and equipment.

While using cassava as example, Dr Yusuff said: ”Cassava itself can be used as industrial raw material, and it can also be processed to garri, cassava flour, cassava chips and cassava starch and take them as industrial raw material. Its potential industrial uses mainly includes alcohol industry, food industry and other non-food industry.

“In the past, cassava starch was mainly used as a staple food by some tribes in Nigeria and for domestic laundry purposes. However, attention has been drawn to its industrial uses in recent years. Among its industrial uses are: as thickener or paste in the food industry; syrup in the pharmaceutical industry and for textile sizing in the textile industry.

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“Also, cassava can be processed by the following industries, namely: Baby Food and Products Manufacturers, Bakers and Confectioners, Biscuit Manufacturers, Canned Food Manufacturers, Confectionery Raw Material Suppliers, Supermarkets and Departmental Stores, Explosives, Farmers, Fish Farmers, Flour Mills, Food Contractors and Foodstuffs Suppliers, Food Processing Companies, Foods and Beverage Producers, Garri Processing Industries and so on.

“Cassava is the basis of a multitude of products, including food, flour, animal feed, alcohol, starches for sizing paper and textiles, sweeteners, prepared foods and bio-degradable products. The products are derived from a number of forms of cassava, ranging from fresh leaves and roots to modified cassava starch.”