In a bid to elevate the standards of local rice and cassava products, the Federal Government, IFAD/Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) in Niger State conducted an intensive training session for processors in Bida area of the state.
The training, targeted rice and cassava processors from Bida, Lavun and Mokwa local government areas held in Lavun.
Mrs. Joy Teni Kolo, Assistant Agro Processing/Quality Enhancement Officer with the VCDP, said the training focused on critical areas such as destoning, proper packaging, and effective branding techniques, aimed at enhancing product quality and boosting market competitiveness.
She also explained that the training was designed to address key gaps in the production process.
“We educated the processors on the importance of using standard packaging materials, adopting appealing branding strategies, and ensuring their products meet international standards. Our goal is to make Niger State’s rice and cassava products especially cassava, which has over 20 diverse finished products stand out in the market,” she said.
Participants expressed enthusiasm about the practical insights gained from the training.
The processors also promised to step down the training to their communities in order to widen the impact and uplift local production standards across Niger State.
Aisha Mohammed from the Ebbo-Soko rice processing association in Lavun appreciated VCDP for the training saying, the lot about how to properly package our products, which will definitely help us attract more buyers and increase our sales.”
Another processor, Musa. Mohammed said the VCDP initiative is expected to drive tangible growth in the processors’ businesses, making their products more appealing to both local and potentially international buyers.