By Goddy Egene
Bosch, a global supplier of technology and services, has said it is introducing its world-leading packaging technology to the Nigerian cassava market. Through the technology, Bosch is partnering Nigeria’s cassava farmers and processors to improve their processing and packaging facilities, the quality of their cassava products and expansion of their product offering for local consumption and export.
As the largest producer of cassava in the world, the Nigerian government sees cassava’s potential as a commodity that can transform the Nigerian economy and reduce poverty in the country. To achieve this, the industry must add value to the crop through processing and packaging as it is currently largely sold in raw form and at this stage does not contribute significantly to the value-added cassava products available in the marketplace.
President of Bosch Africa, Dr. Markus Thill said Bosch Packaging Technology will play an essential role in cassava’s move up the value chain from farmer to the consumer, thereby contributing to the stimulation of economic growth in the country.
Thill said: “Without food packaging that meets globally accepted standards of quality and safety, Nigeria’s cassava industry will not be able to sell its products on the global market. Bosch Packaging Technology provides the perfect solution that meets the stringent requirements of international trade while also offering stakeholders numerous benefits locally. Together with key Nigerian stakeholders we can assist and support the development of the cassava sector. Our products will enable Nigeria’s local entrepreneurs and farmers to eradicate wastage, improve food security and build new industries, thereby growing the Nigerian economy and improving the quality of life for its citizens,” adds Thill.
According to him, Bosch’s culture of doing business with a conscience has seen the company engaging with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to identify opportunities for industrialisation in emerging markets to combat food safety & insecurity.
“Bosch views this initiative as crucial to the progress of the African continent in terms of economic development, sustainability and enhancing food security. We have also been involved with Messe Duesseldorf’s‘Save Food’ initiative since 2011, which aims to find solutions to global food wastage. To this end, our Bosch Packaging Technology improves preservation and storage, enabling food to be transported better over long distances for end users in emerging markets,” Thill said.
He explained that Bosch’s machines are robust, have a long lifespan, are easy to use and boast low-energy consumption.
“They are ideal for the Africa environment as they are highly efficient and require little maintenance. They are also operator-friendly and easy to use. Our best-in-class technologies are ‘invented for life’ in the truest sense, providing vital support to human health and nutrition, especially in Africa and other emerging markets. We believe a holistic approach will give a boost to Nigeria’s SMEs and stimulate job creation, provide additional opportunities to supplementary industries further down the value chain,” he added.
