Report on training workshop on plantain processing and recipe development

Abstract

In response to the implementation of the Gatsby Banana and Plantain Project Phase II, a training workshop for plantain processing was organized at Food Research Institute (FRI) in collaboration with Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) Directorate of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). The two institutions were responsible for evaluation and dissemination of post-harvest processing options for plantain and banana under the Gatsby project. The Gatsby Banana and Plantain Project Phase II sought to increase food security and diversify income opportunities through an efficient collaborative scheme for delivery of improved varieties of plantain and banana with associated value-adding post-harvest processing options. The training workshop was a follow-up on a consultative workshop held in May, 2006 at Food Research Institute in collaboration with Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) Directorate of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOF A), where an action plan was drawn for the execution of the sub component of the Gatsby project. At the consultative workshop, FRI and WIAD officers, processors from the Project Operation Zone (POZs) and other stakeholders brainstormed on recipes and processing technologies available and selected those that could be adapted for use by all peoples across the nation particularly rural farm families in plantain and banana producing areas, food processors and industrialists. The action plan included development of training materials, training' of WIAD officers and subsequent training of women and processors in processing technologies identified among others in three Project Operation Zones (POZs), Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern Regions. A draft training manual" Your Plantain Processing and Recipe Manual" was developed after the consultative workshop and served as the main training document during this training workshop. The three day training workshop was participatory, in that trainees had the opportunity to question facilitators, pass comments and suggestion in a lively atmosphere. Trainees were taken through a step-by-step production of plantain flour and group practical work was done on the first day of the training workshop. Demonstration and group practical work on plantain flour recipes was conducted on the second and third day. Twelve recipes including plantain and wheat flour, tatale, noodles, doughnuts, pastry chips, queen's cake, ofam, cookies, baby food formulation, kaklo, mpotompoto and Juju formulation and reconstitution. On the third day of the training workshop, trainees discussed and made suggestions for the finalization of the training manual, which saw the formation of an editorial board comprising of team members from FRI and WIAD to finalized the training manual for use in the POZs