LOS ANGELES, Butuan City – The Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center 13 (ATI-RTC 13) will conduct a “Seminar on Cassava Processing and Food Safety Awareness” on October 20-21, 2021. The seminar will be held at the Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center this city and will be attended by 15 farmers, youth, and members of the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) from Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

According to Paula Mae Creencia, Project Officer and DMO II of ATI-RTC 13, “Las Nieves is abundant in cassava. But while some farmers here have engaged in processing and have penetrated the market, their ventures have been hampered by lack of improvement on food safety, shelf life, microbiological tests, nutrient analysis, and wastage reduction. As a result, they still cannot meet the demands for food products that are high in nutritional value, palatability, and convenience. If equipped with knowledge and skills in cassava processing and food safety, these farmers have the potential of increasing their income and improving their lives.”

At the end of the training, the participants are expected to explain the importance of food safety and food processing, enumerate the food safety hazards, discuss and enumerate the procedures in food processing, and demonstrate its techniques and procedures.