Written By Nneka Anoliefo
Some women in Anambra State have been trained on processing Biofortified crops into food and recipes.
The session of training was conducted for Women processors in Amawbia, Awka South Council Area.
The Director, Technical Services, Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, and Partners to Harvest Plus and Gain, IITA Ibadan, Mr Emeka Okoli, explained that the training would help improve the livelihood of the farmers and processors and as well help them to generate additional income.
Mr Okoli demonstrated in practical forms, ways of processing vitamin A Cassava roots into Garri, Fufu, Flour, Casmoi, as well as Orange fleshed sweet potatoes into flour, juice, Pap, then vitamin A maize into flour and pap.
Potato flour and cassava were also used for bread making. A combination of Vitamin A Cassava flour and maize flour was mixed and reconstituted as Fufu.
He made the participants know that Food processing improves or even ensures food safety as it removes harmful microorganisms from the food.
Mr Okoli further explained that food processing makes food edible, pointing out that there are processing techniques such as grinding, turning them into flour after which they can be made into bread, cereal, pasta and other edible grains based products.
The Director Mr Okoli explained that food processing allows the citizenry to enjoy a greater variety of foods than our forefathers, because food can safely be preserved and packaged these days, and also be transported from across the globe to our homes.
Some of the participants expressed joy at the new trends as they rehearsed what they were taught, and thanked the Harvest Plus and Gain as well as Governor Willie Obiano for finding them Worthy of the training, praying God to bless and reward them abundantly.
Mrs Virginia Ifekandu and Mrs Goerginia Ugozor among others promised to put the knowledge gained into good use.
The training featured a questions and answers sessions.
