NIGERIA (Kogi) – The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, has hinted that theFederal Government will cut down wheat importation by 20% and save over N127 billion from its annual wheat import bill of over 635 billion as from 2014.

While disclosing this at Lokoja, Kogi state capital, during a two-day training workshop on cassava bread organized for Master Bakers from the North Central Zone, the Minister, who was represented by Mrs. Toyin Adetunji, his Technical Adviser on Cassava Value Chain, said government had concluded plans to implement its policy of 20 per cent substitution of wheat with cassava flour in bread production.

He said the Master Bakers’ training was part of measures aimed at developing cassava industry, create jobs and boost the income of the people.

According to him, with a production capacity of 40 million metric tonnes per annum, Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world, with Brazil, Thailand and Indonesia trailing on.

“The challenge to us as a nation is that Thailand, which is the third largest producer of cassava, controls over 80 per cent of the world market of cassava starch.

“Hence, there is need for us to play our role as a leading producer nation.’’

He added that a sum of N10 billion has been approved by President Goodluck Jonathan as cassava bread development fund.

He said that the training, which currently had a total of 770 master bakers across the six geo-political zones, was expected to train a minimum of six bakers from each local government area of the country.