Bill to include cassava in wheat production passes second reading at Senate

The bill seeks the inclusion of 20 per cent high-quality cassava flour in wheat by producers and importers.

A bill seeking to make it compulsory to include cassava in wheat flour production has passed a second reading at the Senate.

The bill specifically seeks the inclusion of 20 per cent high-quality cassava flour in wheat flour by producers and importers of the product.

It was sponsored by Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara South Central).

The bill was read for the second time and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture for further legislative action.

Mr Mustapha, while leading a debate on the general principles of the bill, stressed the need to use cassava as part of the recipe for wheat flour production in order to reduce the cost of importation of wheat, which presently stands at over $3 billion per annum.

He said the continuous importation of wheat has impacted the Nigerian economy negatively by causing trade imbalance, loss of foreign exchange and food dependency.

The senator noted that if the bill was passed into law, it would stimulate job creation in the agriculture sector and increase Nigeria’s market share of cassava earnings in foreign exchange.

He also said the law would enhance cassava production and processing, poverty alleviation, economic growth and food security.

Debate

The majority of the senators supported the bill during debate on it.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, said the bill is in the interest of the country.

Mr Jibrin noted that including cassava in wheat flour production is good for bread making but Nigerian bakers have refused to do so.

“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.”

The deputy senate president also said the implementation will increase production of cassava in the country and ultimately increase income of farmers.

“It will allow us to allow our farmers to produce more now and reduce the money we use in importing wheat every year. And so, it will help to conserve our foreign exchange. It is as simple as that. It will help our country. It will help our farmers. It’s something we produce everywhere.

“Let’s use what we have instead of using wheat all around, 100 per cent. We can now use 20 per cent and cut the cost of importing wheat to conserve our foreign exchange. It’s simple,” Mr Jibrin added.

The immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan supported local production of bread made with cassava.

Mr Lawan, the Yobe North senator, urged the incumbent government to diversify the economy.

After debate, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, directed the agriculture committee to report back to the Senate within four weeks.

The committee may organise a public hearing on the bill and report its recommendations to the upper chamber, which may pass it for third reading and approval or throw it out.