Hon Lar Trains Over 200 On Cassava, Tomato Processing
BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – A member of the House of Representatives representing Langtang North/Langtang South federal constituency, Hon Beni Lar has commenced the training of over 200 members of her constituency on cassava production, processing, and tomato processing and preservation.
The training programme which was carried out by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), is expected to last for two weeks.
Speaking during the opening of the programme which took place in Langtang, Hon Beni Lar, who was represented by her senior legislative aide, Nankpak Gono, expressed determination to “reduce poverty in our constituency”.
She said participants were selected from all the wards of the constituency devoid of party divide, adding that the training will enable youths and women in the area to derive maximum benefits from processing cassava into different products that can be preserved for a longer period.
According to her; “Women and youths are the most vulnerable in our society, and the future of any country lies on the youths. Before now, what we knew was only how to process cassava into garri, but at the end of this training, we should be able to process cassava into several different products.
“Some of these products are garri, cassava flour, starch, ethanol, and other products in the cassava value chain which will increase their income as well as end post-harvest loss of cassava.
“My constituency produces large quantity of cassava, but experience huge post-harvest losses. This training will put an end to the losses as we will now know various ways to process cassava,” she noted further.
Lar stressed the need for beneficiaries to be serious with the training to enable them put into good use what they have learnt.
The North central Zonal coordinator of FIIRO, Mr. Philip Pius said the institute was partnering with Hon Beni Lar to empower youths and women in the area, adding that FIIRO as a government agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Abuja has deployed its mandate to ensure diversification of the economy most especially industrilization through the development and promotion of micro, small, and medium enterprise.
This, according to the Coordinator, has led to the proliferation of weaning food and breakfast cereals such as Soyogi, palm wine bottling and preservation, cassava processing into garri, cassava flour, and glucose syrup.
He further said; “Our technology transfer and techno entrepreneurship training programmes have produced over 500,000 entrepreneurs all over Nigeria.”
A traditional ruler in the area, Ponzhi Gobun Jamda Shedun, thanked Hon Lar for empowering her constituents, noting that she has done well in providing dividends of democracy to her people .
