BSU CEFTER BEGINS 2O21 FOOD WEEK

Benue State University centre for food technology and research has Commenced activities for the 2021 edition of her annual food week festival

Declaring The programme opened the center leader Dr. Barnabas Ikyo frawened at the low turn out of students and called for a change of attitude.

Dr. Ikyo who was represented by the Deputy Centre Leader Professor Mrs Agbene Igbum explained that the inspiration for food week was born out of the CEFTER's observation of the generally poor and weak food menu across the country and other nations with in the West African Region.

She expressed hope that the exercise would spur intellectual discource on food processing and handling to help stimulate better recommendations to correct the anomaly.

In his remarks CEFTER'S Deputy Director Research and Training Dr. Adejo Sylvester explained that competent consultants, mentors and industry stakeholders have been carefully assembled to engage participants on major themes and other practical exercises during the week long programme.

Dr Adejo appreciated the university management for approving resources for the Food Week and adviced students of the Centre to make the best of the opportunity.

Chairman of the Occasion, MD/CEO Farm4me Group Nig Ltd, Adama Adama, said food is everybody’s business and the group is proud to be partner with the center.

Represented by the Executive Director, Farm4me Group Nig Ltd, Bonbo Nadah, he said: “It is not only an eye opener, it is a great idea because it is consistent with what our group is all about. Agriculture, food, because everybody eats food but not everybody drives a car but they eat. So this exhibition is not only timely but I have learnt a lot too, and as a group we are going to take note of it and work on deepening our partnership.”

In a remark, State Focal person, National Social Investment Programme, Terris Damsa, represented by the Programme Officer, Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Tersoo Agera said the exhibition has further tighten the partnership ties between NSIP and CEFTER.

He said one of the objectives of the school feeding programme is to grow the local economy and with such exhibitions of the possibilities at CEFTER, the center will soon take over the supplies needed by the school.

Other stakeholders of the center said the exhibition was an unveiling of the potentials in the state which if harnessed can open doors of employment and grow the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Earlier, in a welcome address, Director of the center, Dr Barnabas Ikyo called for investors in Agribusiness and also entrepreneurship partnership with the different sections.

“Food week is a staff-student activity that provides the opportunity for students to put to practice what they have been taught in class for one year.

“This year students have been grouped into 8 and assigned crops to develop products that have added value or fortified for identified nutritional purposes.

“The groups were Bambara nuts/Cowpea, Sesame/Peanut, Irish/Sweet potatoes, Orange/Mango, Palm kernel/Coconut, Sugar cane/Pineapple, Tomato/Pepper and Cassava/Yam,'” he said.

Some of the students, Agbo Evelyn a Ph.D student and Hope Samson an M.Sc student who spoke to The Voice, said they were grateful for the existence of the center as they have improved a lot and have learnt skills to enable them survive in the society.

Dignitaries went round each table to view the varieties of products from the groups mentioned and interaction with group members on the nutritional value of the products.