POFAN, Bakers partner to begin potato bread production

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The Potato farmers association of Nigeria and the FCT chapter of the Association of Masters Bakers and Caterers are making plans to enter into partnership to begin the production of Orange fleshed sweet Potato bread.

The both associations also agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will give detailed information about the bread production.

Speaking to the FCT chairman of the Association of Masters Bakers and Caterers, Ishaq Abdulraheem, in an interview on Monday, March 29, he said that the association became interested into partnering with the potato farmers after spotting their products at the recently held Science and Tech Expo at Eagles square.

Abdulraheem informed that the both associations held a meeting last week Wednesday to discuss on the MoU and other advantages it will bring to the associations as well as Nigeria’s economy.

The chairman recalled that the government had initiated cassava bread production, noting that this new initiative of producing potato bread will be handled by private investors.

He said, ‘’What actually informed this MOU is as a result of the notification our Public relations officer sent to us after visiting the stand of POFAN at the recent exhibition at Eagles square.

‘’He introduced our Association to POFAN and the issue of collaboration was introduced to produce Potato bread.

‘’ We understood that there is a similar structure but that one was done by the government, which was the cassava initiative, to use cassava flour for bread production.

‘’But this one is coming from private investors, for potato flour to be used for bread production.’’

Speaking on how far they have gone in drafting the MoU, Abdulraheem said, ‘’A meeting was held last week Wednesday with POFAN and we agreed that a proposal should be sent to us.

‘’We have not been able to articulate and discuss on our own. This is because we are expecting a proposal from POFAN. When we receive this proposal, we will now study the proposal and give them feedback after our Association has collectively met to strategize on the way forward.’’

The chairman also assured that the potato bread production initiative will be passed nationwide once the proposal is accepted and MoU signed.

‘’The process is starting from the FCT. We will communicate this initiative to the national body after we receive the proposal. We will make our recommendations to the national body.

‘’Also, FCT is the headquarters of the North-West zone. So, we will start from the zone and when they become aware, we will pass it across to other zones.

‘’I am sure other zones and states will key into this because it will benefit them,’’ he assured.

Abdulraheem also noted that the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will be duly informed on the exercise because, he said, ‘’before we put anything in our mix, it has to be NAFDAC approved.

‘’There is no additive that we put in bread that NAFDAC does not approve.’’

Abdulraheem while explaining further on the production of the bread, said that a training will be held to educate the bakers on the percentage of flour to use.

“The training will afford us to know the percentage of potato flour we are going to substitute. You can’t say straightaway that you are going to use 100% potato, its not possible,” he said.

The Assistant secretary of the Association, Hajiya Rabiya Abubakar also added, “You know this initiative just started, POFAN needs to give us the formula and training before we know exactly how much it will cost us to produce this bread.

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“Whether it is the healthy bread or normal one. It is based on what we study from their proposal that we can predict our cost.

“Originally, right now in Abuja, we do our bread naturally. So if they bring this potato I think is just to substitute the flour with the amount of the potato flour we are going to use.

Speaking on the benefits the MoU will bring to Nigeria as well as the Association, Abdulraheem stated that that the initiative is a welcome development, saying that the potato flour will help to substitute the regular flour especially now that cost of production is high.

“Our cost of production is high, we need to find a way of supplementing it thereby growing the GDP of a country because it will help to reduce importation.”

In addition, the National president of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), Chief Daniel Okafor, explained that the MoU when signed will yield benefits to the Nigerian government.

Okafor said that it will create jobs and promote indigenous food production.

He also added that the orange fleshed sweet potato flour has a lot of health benefits to the body which many Nigerians will benefit from.