Some Cassava farmers in Dangara community, Kwali Area Council, FCT, have called on the Federal Government, to provide soft loans for farmers to enable them boost garri production in the area.
Cassava is a tap root with long tuberous edible roots and soft brittle stems; used especially to make cassiri (an alcoholic drink), tapioca, flour, flakes, cooked cassava with sauce, fufu, and so on.
In West Africa, Garri is a powdery food made from the tuberous roots of the cassava plant, which in the process of its manufacture is changed into dry edible granules.
Mr Meshack Nicholas, a cassava farmer, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on behalf of other farmers, explained that to run garri business successfully required adequate finance.
Nicholas urged the government to give soft loans to small scale farmers, to alleviate the financial challenges they were facing in producing garri in the community and enable them to contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
NAN reports that the government recently approved new names for 10 improved cassava varieties, as part of efforts to brand the root crop for easy identification, cultivation and marketing of cassava stems.
The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Mrs Karima Babangida, who moved for the adoption of the names on behalf of the government of Nigeria described the move as a ‘‘welcome development.’’
