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Tag: cassava farmers

  • Reps seek easy access to short loan for cassava farmers

    Reps seek easy access to short loan for cassava farmers

    The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct the Bank of Agriculture, the Bank of Industry and other relevant financial institutions to provide easy access to short-term loans in favour of cassava farmers in the country.

    The House also asked the Government to immediately reconstitute the defunct Presidential Committee on the Cassava Initiative Programme, known as “Composite Cassava Flour of 2002”, with the aim of improving the welfare of cassava peasant farmers in the country.

    In a resolution following a motion sponsored by Canice Moore Chukwuugozie Nwachhukwu, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to embark on massive value chain training of peasant farmers on cassava production, processing and packaging.

    Moving the motion, Nwachhukwu said Cassava production in Nigeria is developing as an organised agricultural crop with locally established processing techniques for food products and livestock feeds.

    He disclosed that cassava is produced in almost all the 36 States of the Federation, including the FCT while the peels have a high level of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), particularly in bitter cassava varieties, which are common in Nigeria and used as an energy supplement in cattle, which can partly replace 30% of total Dry Matter Intake (DMI) energy concentrates, with no influence on the intake, digestibility, microbial efficiency and nitrogen retention and act as an antidote to many cattle diseases.

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    He disclosed that there are four planting seasons across the country’s six geopolitical zones and is therefore available all year round;

    Also aware that cassava processing machines and short-term loans, if provided, will make the effective and hygienic transformation of cassava into garri and fufu possible.

    According to him, this will give the farmers access to a better market share with good selling prices, which will ultimately increase their income while contributing their quota in feeding the nation and increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that diversification of the Nigerian economy could be achieved by using cassava as an alternative to crude oil to earn substantial amounts of foreign exchange through massive cultivation both for local consumption and export.

    Nwachhukwu said further that cassava displays an exceptional ability to adapt to climate change, with tolerance to low soil fertility and resistance drought conditions, pests, and diseases, while the use of fertilisers is limited, and it is also sown on fallow lands.

    He said cassava, which is rich in starch in the form of carbohydrate, has multiple uses and is consumed in many processed forms and also serves as livestock feed for cattle and other animals, while it’s tubers are made into flours, garri or fufu, which are some of our staple foods.

    He said “Its other products include dry extraction of starch, glue or adhesives and modified starch for use in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly through its utilisation as starch in drug formulations. As an excipient in tablet manufacturing and a capsule filling agent, cassava starch offers valuable functionalities that enhance the efficacy, stability, and affordability of pharmaceutical products.

    “With more than 40 cassava varieties in use, 90% of producers in Nigeria are small-scale farmers with limited or no access to modern processing machines or working capital in order to be selfreliant.

    “Nigeria, being one of the major producers of cassava in Africa, processes about 90% of the root plant into finished products and consumes it locally. Processing is mainly done at a cottage level by women using low-level technology due to an inappropriate packaging system and difficulty in acquiring appropriate technical equipment and finances.”

    He expressed dismayed that the hygiene condition is very poor and these small-scale farmers are facing serious production and profit losses along the local value chain lines.

  • Reps seek easy access to short loan for cassava farmers

    Reps seek easy access to short loan for cassava farmers

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct the Bank of Agriculture, the Bank of Industry (BoI) and other relevant financial institutions to provide easy access to short-term loans in favour of cassava farmers in the country. 

    The House also asked the government to immediately reconstitute the defunct Presidential Committee on the Cassava Initiative Programme, known as “Composite Cassava Flour of 2002” to improve the welfare of cassava peasant farmers in the country. 

    In a resolution following a motion sponsored by Canice Moore Chukwuugozie Nwachhukwu, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to embark on massive value chain training of peasant farmers on cassava production, processing and packaging. 

    Moving the motion, Nwachhukwu said cassava production in Nigeria is developing as an organised agricultural crop with locally established processing techniques for food products and livestock feeds.

    He informed cassava is produced in almost all the 36 States of the Federation, including the FCT, while the peels have a high level of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), particularly in bitter cassava varieties, which are common in Nigeria and used as an energy supplement in cattle, which can partly replace 30% of total Dry Matter Intake (DMI) energy concentrates, with no influence on the intake, digestibility, microbial efficiency and nitrogen retention and act as an antidote to many cattle diseases. 

    He stated that there are four planting seasons across the country’s six geopolitical zones and is therefore available all year round.

    According to him, this will give the farmers access to a better market share with good selling prices, which will ultimately increase their income while contributing their quota in feeding the nation and increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that diversification of the Nigerian economy could be achieved by using cassava as an alternative to crude oil to earn substantial amounts of foreign exchange through massive cultivation both for local consumption and export. 

  • Cassava farmers get AATF agronomic practices training programme in Oyo

    Cassava farmers get AATF agronomic practices training programme in Oyo

    The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has officially launched a Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) training programme aimed at enhancing the skills of cassava farmers and processors in the Southwest. 

    The programme, which was launched at the Fashola farms, Oyo, targets over 6,000 beneficiaries, with a particular focus on empowering women and youths.

    The weeklong training, facilitated by the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, kicked off with the first batch of 1,000 participants, consisting of farmers and processors frkm different parts of the Southwest states. 

    This marks the initial phase of the training series, which is expected to span over three years. 

    The Nation reports that AATF had previously committed, during the inauguration of the Cassava Mechanization and Agro-Processing Facility in April 2024, to train 6,000 farmers and processors. 

    The initiative will gradually scale up with 1,000 trainees in 2024, 2,000 in 2025, and 3,000 in 2026.

    In addition to the farmers, the program will include 1,000 processors, primarily women from Oyo and Ogun states, with a focus on value addition in cassava processing. 

    By equipping them with essential skills, the training seeks to improve their livelihoods through better production methods and increased value creation.

    Speaking during the launch of the training program, at Fashola farms, Oyo, AATF’s Programme Officer for Agribusiness,

    Mr. Kehinde Jimoh, emphasized that this initiative is part of AATF’s broader commitment to enhancing the productivity of cassava farmers and processors. 

    He stated, “This training is focused on empowering farmers and processors with best agronomic practices and value addition strategies, which will lead to significant improvements in their livelihoods and cassava productivity.”

    Director of Tuber Crops Research at NRCRI, Dr. Adeyemi Olojede expressed delight at the institute’s involvement in the program. 

    He noted the importance of the training not only in boosting cassava production but also in enhancing value addition, which will provide farmers with alternative income streams. 

    “Due to the significant impact this training will have on cassava farmers in Southwest Nigeria, NRCRI has deployed a team of experts to ensure that the objectives are met and that the facility contributes to the nation’s food security efforts,” Dr. Olojede said.

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    The training program, hosted by AATF and facilitated by NRCRI experts, is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with AATF, Agridrive Ltd., and Clayuca Corporation. 

    The training covers critical areas such as best agronomic practices, cassava value addition, and prudent financial management, all within the framework of the “Mechanization of Cassava Production and Processing Project” under the Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in Agriculture (i4Ag).

    The initiative is expected to significantly contribute to improving cassava farming and processing in Nigeria, ensuring that farmers are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance productivity and sustain their livelihoods.

  • Establishment of ethanol plants, others excite cassava farmers, boost incomes

    Establishment of ethanol plants, others excite cassava farmers, boost incomes

    The prices of cassava will continue to rise as more firms compete to acquire the food item for ethanol production and other industrial uses. This imbalance is said to be driving prices of garri and other derivatives from cassava higher as firms are willing to pay more to secure cassava, considered a major raw material, The Nation learnt.

    For instance,  price of cassava flakes, popularly known as garri and rice have recorded more than a 50 per cent increase in most parts of the country  with cup of garri, which sold for N150, now goes for N800 while a five litre paint bucket is sold for between N4,000 and N4, 300.

    The price hike is not limited to only garri; it has also negatively impacted the prices of other by-products of cassava such as flour, fufu and starch, among others, which have become very scarce and expensive. The problem has been linked to scarcity of cassava, which has now become a goldmine, as its price increases on a daily basis.

    Speaking with The Nation, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof Kola Adebayo, noted that the cassava industry is enjoying huge demand from both domestic and industrial consumers, especially the food processing and ethanol industries.

    Apart from producers of native starch, he noted, for cassava starch slurry from   food and drinks processors, paper manufacturers, and ethanol distillers. As demand for cassava grow steadily and prices rise, he said farmers are expanding areas under cultivation allowing operators to remain in profit.

    In addition to being consumed directly in households and in the manufacture of animal feed, he said, cassava is also used domestically as an input into other industries, including the processing and production of food and beverages, medicines, cosmetics, chemicals, and alcohol.

    In an interview with The Nation, former Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria and West Africa, Dr Paul Ilona, noted that demand for cassava has grown strongly thanks to its many industrial uses.

    His words: “It has to do with demand. Once demand increases, invariably you will have a price rise.it is a normal economic principle. If you look at the different demand along the cassava value chain you will realise that it is not just the ethanol sector.’’.Clearly cassava is a major staple- you have fufu and all that. As at last year, the first increase we had was in the price of rice. The price of rice went up considerably, making people shift to garri. By shifting they increased the price of garri. Garri prices also went up. When the government puts in a catalyst in the system it drives others. The primary driver of increase in products today is the rise in rice prices. This made most Nigerians shifted to locally available products. As demand increased prices shot up.” He, however, expressed the optimism that the situation would be better since more people have embarked on cassava farming.

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    Recently, Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) suggested conversion of cassava, corn and sugarcane to ethanol fuel to replace petrol. According to them, the alternative solution holds promise for a significant reduction in the money Nigerians spend on fuel.

    MEMAN indicated that ethanol has the potential to be utilised as a biofuel, aiding Nigeria in alleviating energy poverty and cutting down emissions. The body highlighted that leveraging Nigeria’s ethanol resources to supplement petrol could result in approximately $7.4 billion in annual savings.