Boosting production of cassava can alleviate poverty

Recently, a team of scientists held a three-day retreat at Ridar Hotel in Mukono district and formed a National Cassava Coordination Committee to promote the cassava sub-sector in the country. RONALD KALYANGO talked to Daisy Eresu, the coordinator of the committee, about the need to promote cassava production in Uganda 

CASSAVA has, for generations, been used to ensure food security in Africa. However, the drought-resistant, starch-rich, root tuber has attracted almost no attention in terms of funding and policy for its increased production.

Daisy Eresu, a senior agricultural officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, says Uganda, which was initially among the top producers of the crop in Africa, has dropped from being the sixth-largest producer in 2005 to eighth in 2011. Africa’s top producers include Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, DRC, Mozambique and Angola.  

Uganda’s annual cassava production is 5.5 million tonnes, grown on an estimated 500,000 hectares. It is the second most important staple food after bananas. The districts of Lira, Apac, Gulu, Arua, Nebbi, Soroti, Kumi, Tororo and Iganga are the leading producers.

Eresu says cassava grows well in arid land and its adaptability to most weather and soil types makes it attractive to Ugandan farmers.

It is against this background that a team of scientists from Namulonge, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Makerere University’s Food Science and Nutrition and National Bureau of Standards have formed a National Cassava Coordination Committee to promote, guide and oversee the development of the cassava sub-sector in the country.

Others on the team include the National Agricultural Advisory Services officials and the Association of Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa.

The team has also been tasked with drafting a strategy on how to increase the crop’s production to one million tonnes by 2017.

In 1981, cassava production was estimated at 100,000 metric tonnes; it later increased to 130,000 metric tonnes in 1987, but declined to 30,000 tonnes in 1994, due to the cassava mosaic disease.

Eresu notes that cassava holds the greatest potential and opportunity for development given that it is widely grown throughout the country.

This is because it has varied uses,  ranging from being consumed as a fresh root, to being used in form of flour, animal feeds, starch and derivatives for industrial and pharmaceutical industries.

Cassava, according to Eresu, also holds the greatest potential as an engine of growth as it is largely grown by smallholder farmers for food, nutrition and income.

Since colonial times, cassava has mainly been grown to ensure food security, but it is still considered a poor man’s food. 

Work of National Cassava Coordination Committee
The team is supposed to coordinate activities of the cassava sub-sector, review and advice on policy, strengthen and promote networking linkages, among others.

They will support the creation, maintenance and utilisation of a cassava databank and lobbying and advocacy for development of the cassava sub-sector.

Why promote cassava?
Eresu says a booming cassava industry offers many opportunities because Ugandans are said to be consuming about 200,000 tonnes of cassava flour annually and it is believed that high-quality cassava flour can readily replace 10% wheat flour in the manufacturing of biscuits. 

Industries consume 216 tonnes of cassava flour per annum and these accounts for only 0.09% cassava flour that can be used by plywood, paperboard and textile factories. Potential exists for a 33% annual increase. 

Substituting wheat flour with high quality cassava flour for biscuits and paper making can save the country over sh2b. There is also a big market for cassava chips in the East African region. Dry chips are ground into flour for use in various food products.

Cassava chips have the potential to partially replace 10-30% maize bran in animal feeds. The feed industry is interested in the yellow cassava varieties, which are rich in Vitamin A and these would ensure white varieties are left for food and other uses, she added.

The demand for starch is also on the increase with total market for starch-based products in Uganda estimated at 580 tonnes per annum. This market is broken down into starch (64%), cassava flour (28%) and starch-based adhesive for paperboard (8%). 

The pharmaceutical industry uses 53.6%, followed by paperboard 32.5%, food processing 13.5% and commercial laundries (0.4%). 

Scientists have demonstrated how research in cassava can generate a high internal rate of return worth $18 (sh44,100) for every dollar spent. 

In light of this, the African Union’s New Economic Partnership for African Development has prioritised cassava as “the Poverty fighter in Africa”.

Therefore, the agriculture ministry’s roadmap on cassava is to develop product markets that enhance establishment of medium and large scale industries to realise full commercialisation of the crop. 

Industrial extruded and fortified cassava-based products are beginning to appear on the domestic and regional markets. 

However, at farm level, most farmers complain that there are less extension services offered to them. 

They argue that once they receive the cassava stems, they are told “go and plant”, leaving them with little knowledge on the recommended agronomic practices, disease control and management of the crop.

Presently, farm level productivity ranges between four to six metric tonnes per acre yet it can go as high as 13 metric tonnes per acre as a result of disseminating improved cassava planting materials.