The Senate Tuesday, sought for inclusion of cassava in flour production and its derivatives.
Senate’s decision followed the passage of a bill sponsored to that effect by Sen. Saliu Mustapha(APC-Kwara ) for second reading at plenary on Tuesday.
Mustapha, in his lead debate on the bill, said the prolonged war between Russia and Ukraine, had further increased cost of wheat and all its derivatives especially bread, a major staple food for Nigerians.
He said the continued importation of wheat had negative impacts on the Nigeria economy resulting in trade imbalance, loss of foreign exchange and food dependency.
He said the bill, when passed into law, would stimulate jobs creation in the agriculture sector and increase market share of cassava earnings in foreign exchange.
He listed the objectives of the bill to include mandatory inclusion of 20 per cent high quality cassava flour in Nigeria or imported into the country .
He said the bill had the mandate to encourage cassava farming and create a sustainable market for cassava flour .
” It will also ensure publication of regulations for the proportion of cassava flours in relation to wheat to be applied in the process of making edible flour .
“The bill will provide a tax regime and incentives for producers of mixed wheat and cassava flours and wheat importers who include cassava flour in imported wheat .
“The passage of this bill will enhance the efficiency of cassava productions and processing operations as cassava is a choice crop for rural development, poverty alleviation, economic growth and ultimately food security,” he stressed.
Deputy President of the Senate , Sen. Barau Jibrin(APC-Kano) said :
“This bill is all about our national interest. It is important to utilise what we produce everywhere in this country.
“In the north, in the south and everywhere, every state produces cassava. It is one of the crops that you can find everywhere.
“Experts have concluded that using a certain amount of cassava added to wheat is good for us in bread baking.
“Yes, we need legislation because this thing has been said over and over again.
“However, the bakers have refused to go in line with the study that experts have made about the bread we need to produce in this country. Now, legislation should be enacted to enforce them to use this formula.”
Senate after the debate , passed the bill for second reading and mandated its committee on Agriculture to conduct public hearing on it and report back in four weeks to plenary. (NAN)
