A growing
interest in the use of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) by the breweries,
bakery and in local dishes calls for skill development of the existing and
potential actors in the cassava value chain.
New value added products awareness
field trip which was undertaken in last year by the Business Development Expert
and the Lead Regional Coordinator showed an interest by traditional processors,
new and potential cassava processors in the new products and its processing
technology.
As a result, the country team together with AAWID, a service
provider in the Wechi and Techiman Metropolis, organized a workshop for thirty
nine (39) interested participants, comprising of 4 male and 35 female. These
participants were community processing groups and five SMEs in the area. The
processing groups were AyegbeGari Processors, Tromeso Processors, Buoku
Processors, Srapukrom Processors, Mangoase Processors, Papa So Aba Processors,
NnipaHiaMmoa Processors, Amponsakrom Processors, Asubingya Processors, Wurompo
Cassava Processors. The SMEs included Mighty & Hope, Evergreen Business and
Amya Agro Plus.
Standing from
left: Mr. Francis K.F. Aidoo (BDE), Mr. Gregory Komlaga (Dept. CM) and Mr.
HayfordOfori
The purpose of
the workshop was in two folds: technical and business perspective. From the
technical perspective, it was aimed at providing a practical skill in the
production process of High Quality Cassava Flour as well as theoretical
understanding of the evolution of HQCF in order to strengthen their capacity in
production. From the business lens, acquiring and understanding technical
knowledge in itself would not ensure success, therefore the aim was developing
the processors and investors entrepreneurial skills in the world of work of
cassava value chain so that they would be able to embrace challenges in the
chain and enhance their business performance.
Mr. Gregory Komlaga, Assistant
Country Manager and Technical Expert for CAVA II Ghana, took the participants
through the production process of High Quality Cassava Flour. This included
harvesting, weighing, peeling, washing, sorting, grating, pressing,
disintegrating, drying, milling, bagging and storage. He emphasized on the
various drying methods including sun-drying, solar drying, mechanical drying
and flash drying technology. Practically, the drying method used for the
training was sun drying, however, he advocated for a shift to the use of flash
drying technology as it is more efficient and economical for large scale
processing.
First from right
Mr. Gregory Komlaga, Technical Expert for CAVA II training processors in HQCF
Participants
were also trained in‘Business/Entrepreneurial skills-Starting a Cassava (HQCF, IGCF,
HQCCF) Business’ by the CAVA II Ghana Business Development Expert; Mr. Francis
K. F. Aidoo. Participants learnt entrepreneurial traits, idea generation, HQCF
business requirements; demand, supply and money factors, how to ensure HQCF
business success, and reasons for new venture failure (HQCF).The approach to
the business seminar was more of participants’self-assessment and resource
identification as a cassava value chain entrepreneur with reference to
successful agribusiness entrepreneurs in Ghana and West Africa.
Each
participant was asked to assess him or herself to identify potential talents
and skills that would make them successful. Participants were given the
opportunity to ask and respond to questions relevant to each stage of the
presentation as well as the value chain. On the sideline, Mr. Samuel Nyamekye,
the Lead Regional Coordinator for the region provided agronomic practices to
the farmer processors and encouraged the farmers and the SMEs to adopt them to
maximize their yield per hectare.
The Business Development Expert together with
the Lead Regional Coordinator, M&E Expert and District Agriculture
Extension Officer shared experiences with the participants and addressed
questions raised. Participants’ questions bothered on markets, finance and
management of the new value chains amongst others.
Mr. Francis K.
F. Aidoo giving entrepreneurship presentation/business skills to processors
At the end of
the workshop, the participants expressed gratitude to the CAVA II team for the
new skills they have acquired and gave the assurance that they would add the
HQCF to their product lines. Those who were already in the business were
hopeful to leverage on the training to up scale HQCF and other new value added
products and those who were yet to commence businesses were very optimistic and
expressed their readiness to start operations. Mr. Daniel Ammissah, expressed
the group’s heartfelt gratitude for the continuous support CAVA II has been
giving to them and testify the impacts on their economic well-being. “We have
seen appreciable output in our production and income over the years since we
joined CAVA II and hope to continue to enjoy from this partnership” he said.
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