The Agro-Processing, Productive Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Protect, APPEALS, has said that it will provide modern oven to 561 female bakers of local bread, popularly known as ‘Gurasa’ in Kano State.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that APPEALS is a World Bank project which is collaborating with Nigerian government and six states, including Kano to support farmers of tomato, wheat and rice in the areas of production, processing and marketing.
Speaking at an event organised to demonstrate the modern oven technology for the women in Kano on Saturday, the Coordinator of APPEALS, Hassan Ibrahim said the idea was to ease the difficulties often encountered by the women who use local baking method.
According to him, APPEALS has realised that the women were exposed to health challenges while baking in open fire and local equipment.
He noted that the new technology would ease the hardship and improve their economic wellbeing.
He explained that the modern baking equipment was provided in collaboration with Technology Incubation Centre, Kano State.
He added that once the bakers are satisfied with the equipment, APPEALS would swing into action to provide one for each of the 10 groups of the 561 beneficiaries.
He further explained that the demonstration was performed before the representatives of each group.
“The main function of APPEALS is to support famers on the three value chains, that is rice, wheat and tomato. We support them in the area of production, processing and marketing.
” We realised that these women are facing difficulties in baking local bread by using open fire, in a small environment which would be dangerous to their health.
“We also consider the scarcity of stalk which they use in heating the bread.
“All these variables have been considered by APPEALS, that is why we came up with this initiative.
“The aim of this demonstration is to show the equipment to the women to see if they are satisfied with it.
“Once they are satisfied, we will provide it to them,” he said.
