No fewer than 500 women and unemployed youths, including graduates in Ibarapa zone of Oyo State, participated in two-day trainings in various skills along cassava processing value chain. Served as an avenue to empower farmers in Eruwa, in Ibarapa East Local Government Area, the trainings turned out to be a seminar on cassava processing, which also witnessed distribution of work tools to the prospective farmers in the area. The initiator of the programme, Mrs. Bisi Adeyemo, declared that cassava processing was capable of generating employment opportunities for women and youths including graduates.
Adeyemo produces vitamin A cassava products in Eruwa, Ibarapa area of Oyo State which is about 50 kilometres from Ibadan,Oyo State Capital. Speaking at the event, she said that over 100 workers had been empowered through similar trainings provided by her organisation.
The initiator, who is wife of a former lawmaker, Senator Peter Adeyemo, the vitamin A cassava flour being produced by her group is of very high standard. She said the preferred vitamin A cassava products included Gari, Fufu, Lafun, chinchin, among others.
The former banker now collaborating with the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training to empower the trainees, said she had earlier collaborated with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in the state to train corps members on how to invest in agricultural products, especially the vitamin A cassava.
The Director of Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, IAR&T, Ibadan, Prof. James Adediran, said that agriculture was the only means to eradicate poverty in the society.
The agricultural scientist, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Dr. Ayodele Adegbite, pointed out that in recent time, researchers had discovered many things that could be done with cassava especially the vitamin A cassava.