President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to collaborate with flour manufacturers to explore the use of yam-based flour for fufu production in the Northern Region.
He said the initiative is aimed at expanding the use of locally produced yams and creating a wider market for farmers, particularly during harvest periods when prices fall sharply.
Speaking on Saturday, April 18, during a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a 24-hour market in Bimbilla in the Northern Region, President Mahama said discussions had already begun with CSIR and companies producing fufu flour.
“We’ve also spoken to CSIR, and the company that produces fufu flour. In the South, plantains and cassava are the basic ingredients used for pounding the fufu. In the Northern region, it is yams. And so, CSIR and the manufacturers produce flour that makes it easier for you to do your fufu using cassava and plantain.”
He added:
“We’re asking them to explore using yams for the fufu flour. So that our farmers can get a bigger market for their yams. Yams are so cheap during yam harvest, and so lots of farmers aren’t able to recoup their investments. Apart from the exports, which are a good thing, we must also find other uses for the yams so that our farmers can benefit.”
The President noted that the 24-hour market project will be replicated across all 261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies nationwide. The markets will be equipped with facilities such as cold storage units, fire stations, schools, police stations, clinics, pharmacies, banks, information centres, restaurants, lorry terminals, shops and malls to boost commercial activity, particularly for traders and market women.
Meanwhile, a town hall meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, at the University of Development Studies in Tamale, where government officials are expected to outline key interventions implemented over the past year.
