Cassava Flour usage in bread and other bakery products have been encouraged by the local government of Nigeria .Recently a bill would be introduced into national assembly to make cassava flour induction mandatory for bread manufacturers .
Cassava plants are of two varieties -sweet and bitter varieties . Cassava flour is being used by local population to prepare their staple food .Nigeria is the largest cassava flour producer in the world.
At one side Nigerian government is promoting local flour and has increased duties on imported wheat ( levies upto 20 % )/Wheat flour( duties upto 100 % ) which would hurt the local bakeries dependent on wheat flour as prices of bakery products such as bread ,pastries and noodles would be impacted most due to high prices . HQCF ( High quality cassava flour) has been developed by IITA ( International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) . IITA claims to substitute wheat flour by 40 % of cassava flour in bread without affecting bread characteristics .
A balanced approach could save wheat flour millers and bakers which are dependent on wheat for their jobs where as cassava promotion can provide jobs to million cassava planters with saving in imports cost .Value of wheat imports per year in Nigeria is $ 252 Mn .
Cassava flours is extracted from tubers/ roots of cassava plant . The processing includes peeling/washing, drying , pulverizing and Milling .
Similar exercise has been adopted by Srilankan government by promoting Rice flour for bakery products with high import duties on wheat .
There is nothing wrong in substitution but the problem is on the ban of wheat .Let the common man in these country decide what he likes to eat .
Cassava plants are of two varieties -sweet and bitter varieties . Cassava flour is being used by local population to prepare their staple food .Nigeria is the largest cassava flour producer in the world.
At one side Nigerian government is promoting local flour and has increased duties on imported wheat ( levies upto 20 % )/Wheat flour( duties upto 100 % ) which would hurt the local bakeries dependent on wheat flour as prices of bakery products such as bread ,pastries and noodles would be impacted most due to high prices . HQCF ( High quality cassava flour) has been developed by IITA ( International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) . IITA claims to substitute wheat flour by 40 % of cassava flour in bread without affecting bread characteristics .A balanced approach could save wheat flour millers and bakers which are dependent on wheat for their jobs where as cassava promotion can provide jobs to million cassava planters with saving in imports cost .Value of wheat imports per year in Nigeria is $ 252 Mn .
Cassava flours is extracted from tubers/ roots of cassava plant . The processing includes peeling/washing, drying , pulverizing and Milling .
Similar exercise has been adopted by Srilankan government by promoting Rice flour for bakery products with high import duties on wheat .
There is nothing wrong in substitution but the problem is on the ban of wheat .Let the common man in these country decide what he likes to eat .
