Women in agriculture benefit from cassava-processing skills
Eighty farmers, drawn from two districts in the Eastern Region, have undergone training in modern ways of processing cassava. The farmers, mostly women and drawn from the East Akyem and Atiwa districts, were taken through food safety and best practices.
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They were later taken on a field trip organised by the Women In Agriculture Development (WIAD) Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
Best practices
Addressing the farmers, the national focal person of WIAD, Madam Paulina Addy, urged the participants to adopt the best practices in the preparation of gari and cassava dough.
She said cassava had a huge market so the hygienic aspect of its processing must be adhered to. She, therefore, warned them not to do anything which could result in the contamination of their products.
Healthy Surroundings
"You must ensure that your surroundings, equipment and other ingredients used in the preparation of your products are devoid of dirty particles and insecticides. You must dress neatly and look very healthy", she added.
The Eastern Regional Director of MOFA, Dr Frederick Gyebi Twum, warned the participants against the adulteration of their products.
He was happy that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had confiscated adulterated palm oil from 10 markets in Accra and Tema, and said in view of this, his office would put measures in place to avert such a situation in the Eastern Region, which is one of the largest producers of palm oil in the country.
The Officer in charge of WIAD in the Eastern Region, Mrs Christina Konu, said the training programme would be extended to other districts and municipalities in the region.
