HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS | Page 3
A COMPREHENSIVE & PRACTICAL GUIDE ON HOW TO START CASSAVA FARMING & PROCESSING BUSINESS
By: Micheal B. O.
INTRODUCTION
Today, the amount of food available per person on a global basis is 18 percent higher than 30
years ago. Most developing countries benefited from this development with the result that
their nutrition has witnessed very tremendous improvement. Cassava is the chief source of
dietary food energy for the majority of the people living in the lowland tropics, and much of
the sub-humid tropics of West and Central Africa. Therefore, its production and utilization
must be given prime attention in food policy. Even though farmers have not yet attained the
desired technical efficiency in cassava production as a result of weak access to external inputs
such as fertilizers and herbicides, the widescale adoption of high yielding varieties and the
resulting increase in yield have shifted the problem of the cassava sector from supply
(production) to demand issues, such as finding new uses and markets for cassava.
As impressive as this improvement is,
about 800 million people worldwide
still suffer from chronic hunger; and
one quarter of this population resides
in Africa. The situation gets worse
every year and can lead to a
catastrophe if it is not possible to
increase food supply at a rate faster
than that at which the world
population increases. The government
of Nigeria considers a transition from
the present status of usage to the level
of industrial raw material and
livestock feed as a development goal that can spur growth with increase in employment. This
consideration underscores the various research and policy initiatives in cassava improvement,
production, and processing.
Estimates of industrial cassava use in Nigeria suggest that approximately 16 percent of
cassava root production was utilized as chips in animal feed, 5 percent was processed into a
syrup concentrate for soft drinks and less than 1 percent was processed into high quality
cassava flour used in biscuits and confectionery, dextrin, adhesives, starch, and hydrolysates
for pharmaceuticals and seasonings. At present, a wide range of traditional cassava forms
(such as gari, fufu, starch, lafun, abacha, etc) are produced for human consumption. In view
of the renewed emphasis on cassava production (supply), processing and utilization in
Nigeria, it becomes necessary to assess the production, demand and utilization patterns of
cassava, and its prospects especially in combating hunger and raising food security among
vulnerable groups including women and infants.
Accordingly, the objective of this paper is to examine and evaluate the supply and demand
trends of cassava and its potentials of ensuring food security in Nigeria.
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