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Tag: cassava production

  • Cato, Osun, BAT seek increase in Nigeria’s 62.7M tonnes cassava production

    Cato, Osun, BAT seek increase in Nigeria’s 62.7M tonnes cassava production

    Cato Foods & Agroallied Global Concepts, in partnership with the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) and Osun State, is collaborating to improve the nation’s estimated 62.7 million metric tonnes of cassava output. Nigeria still maintains its position as the world’s largest producer of the crop.

    Co-Founder of Cato Foods & Agroallied Global Concepts, Pelumi Aribisala,  said his organization, along with BATNF, has launched a transformative enterprise development initiative aimed at boosting cassava production and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Osun State.

    He explained that the “Enterprise Development for Smallholder Cassava Farmers” project is designed to empower farmers by providing access to essential resources and training.

    Aribisala stated: “Each of the 100 participating farmers will cultivate a half-hectare plot using improved and biofortified cassava varieties. They are being organised into Agri-Business Clusters (ABCs) and cooperatives to streamline access to quality inputs, mechanization, and financial services. This bloc farming model will also enhance their collective marketing power.”

    He added that the core objectives of the initiative are to increase cassava yield and household income by at least 40% and enhance food security. “By training farmers in good agronomic practices, climate-smart agriculture, and basic enterprise management, the project seeks to establish a more efficient and profitable cassava value chain. The adoption of eco-efficient tools, such as the AKILIMO cassava tool, will further support these efforts. A key component of the project is ensuring sustainable market integration.

    Cato Foods will act as an off-taker, providing a ready market for the farmers’ produce and addressing a common challenge for smallholder producers.

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    The project also features a revolving grant structure, which will ensure its long-term sustainability and scalability. Recovered funds will be reinvested into future cycles, allowing new beneficiaries to join the program.”

    According to Aribisala, the collaboration with BATNF is expected to create direct and indirect rural employment, boost local economies, and help Cato Foods meet the increasing industrial demand for its products.

    He said: “This project is designed for high-impact delivery, creating both direct and indirect rural employment, boosting local economies, and expanding Cato Foods’ supply chain to meet increasing industrial demand. By the end of the first cycle, the project aims to establish a thriving cassava value chain driven by empowered smallholder farmers, modern production systems, and inclusive agribusiness models, thereby positioning Osun State as a flagship hub for sustainable cassava enterprise.”

    The programme  will be launched on Thursday next week with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Otunba Babatola Faseru, as the special guest of honor.

  • ‘N9.5b daily cassava production, process untapped’

    Daily market potential of cassava  production and processing is   worth over N9.5billion, experts have said.

    They spoke at a stakeholders’ workshop organised by FIIRO and Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (CAVA) at the weekend. It had as theme High quality cassava flour (HQCF): Technics, prospects and economic development in Lagos.

    They lamented that the country was yet to take advantage of this huge market for economic development.

    Contact Consulting Nigeria Limited Managing Director, Folusho Olaniyan, lamented that this market remained untapped despite  the favourable climatic condition  in the country for cassava crop and huge population.

    She said: “Bread is a staple food in Nigeria and widely consumed food across board. It is interesting to note also that noodle producers have also embraced the inclusion of HQCF in noodles production. This emerging trend implies that cassava sector has become a chain of wealth creation.

    “With a population of over 196million  with 97 per cent of this between 15-64 and one-14,  therefore, about 190 million eat either bread,  chin-chin, wrapped sausage or noodles daily and based on about N50  on the average, market potential pan Nigeria is about N9.5billion  daily.”

    She said even if the urban dwellers are the target of producers, representing only about 50 per cent of the population, there is still potential of realising about N4.9billion from the same demographic group if the population increases daily by 14,220.

    “For instance, 10 per cent  cassava inclusion means Nigeria flour mills require 700 to 800 metric tons (MT) of HQCF\daily and this could save Nigeria N63.5b annually,” she said.

    FIIRO Director-General, Prof Gloria Elemo, said Nigeria would be saving N163 billion yearly, if cassava flour inclusion in bread is fully implemented. She said industrialising Nigeria through research and development (R&D) and, more importantly, cassava utilisation remains the priority of the institute.

    Nigerian Cassava Growers Association (NCGA)  National President Segun Adewunmi said the country requires 1600MT of cassava flour to meet up with the 10 per cent inclusion in bread making and about 3200MT for 20 per cent addition.

    This, according to him, means that cultivation of cassava crop would have to increase and that many more hands need to be engaged by the sector.

    “The 29000Ha  cultivated by farmers for HQCF last year, which resulted in cassava tuber glut was only 442500MT, representing 7.5 per cent of what was require  for the 20 per cent cassava flour addition on bread.

    “Therefore, if the HQCF policy is in full operation, the following implication occurs. Full employment for over 100,000 farmers, 25,000 skilled and unskilled processors, 25, 000 bakers, 100, 000 bread sellers and reduction of national import bill to the tune of over N130 billion annually,” he said.

     

  • Stakeholders call for greater investment in cassava production

    Leading cassava stakeholders have called for increased investment in cassava production to guarantee long-term competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

    This was  one of the resolutions of the roundtable meeting of cassava value chain stakeholders on cassava supply chain development organised by Agribusiness Supplier Development Programme (ASDP) initiative of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) ‘s Private Sector’s African Facility for Inclusive Markets (AFIM) Unit. It held in Lagos.

    UNDP’s African Facility for Inclusive Market (AFIM) is a regional programme that is working to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by supporting the development of inclusive, pro-poor markets across Africa.

    Participants at the roundtable meeting  include staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), representatives of cassava farmers, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), off-takers, suppliers, processors, end-users, input providers, service providers, among others.According to the roundtable, policy makers cannot ignore the sector’s need to stay at the forefront of technological innovation, in order to provide solutions for the agricultural and food security challenges ahead.

    In a communique issued at the end of the roundtable, stakeholders argued that a functional cassava industry is best guarantee for growth, investment, and innovation in the agricultural sector, allowing the nation to have a productive, sustainable, and resilient agricultural base.

    The roundtable observed that for the development drive in the cassava value chain to increase local and foreign earnings as well as improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per year, there should be increased focus on cassava processing to ethanol, starch, flour mills and livestock feed plants.

  • Malawi to host African meeting on cassava production

    Malawi to host African meeting on cassava production

    Representatives of five African countries are in Malawi to interact with local entrepreneurs and experts to explore business prospects in the cassava production and processing.The countries include Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda.

    According to the leader of Nigerian Investment Promotion, Alexander Osikhena, the team aims to boost the incomes of small-scale African cassava farmers by linking them to new markets.

    “There are high market prospects both within and outside Malawi,” he said.

    He said cassava can be used as a substitute for wheat as it is used to produce almost any products that are made from wheat and Malawi has vast potential. A survey is currently underway to assess the cassava market base in the five countries and business prospects across the continent.

    He bemoaned low knowledge among small scale farmers and lack of reliable markets as a major challenge Malawi is facing.

    “There are challenges, which include low knowledge on production among small holder farmers, which in turn is also influencing a drop in the yields,” he said.

  • Nigeria eyes N250b from cassava production

    The Federal Government’s efforts at cassava production appears to be on course.

    Apparently drawing from the success of the reforms in the cement and sugar sectors, cassava production has taken centre stage, with the Federal Government targeting an estimated N250 billion from cassava production yearly following the inauguration of the multi-million dollar Ethanol Plant in Igbesa, Ogun State, by Allied Atlantic Distillers Limited.

    It is believed to be the first cassava-based plant for the production of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), otherwise known as ethanol, in Africa.

    The plant, a product of the backward integration policy of the government on cassava, is expected to supply raw materials not only to distillers, but also pharmaceutical companies and other related industries.

    Minister of Agriculture Dr. Adewunmi Adesina, hailed the initiative, describing it as “a record breaking event for the world’s largest producer of cassava and a testimony of the success of the Federal Government’s policy on cassava and sugar,”Adesina.

    He added: “Cassava is a commodity in focus with value addition in five points, including the confectionery and pharmaceutical sectors and a massive job creator.”

    On the government’s ultimate goal, he said: “Our goal is to add an additional 17 million metric tonnes (MT) of cassava to our domestic food supply. The Agricultural Transformation Action Plan hopes to create 1.3 million jobs across the cassava value chain. But producing more food is not enough, we must also ensure that there is enhanced food nutrition and health.”

    He lamented that despite being the largest producer of cassava globally, Nigeria has no place in the international market unlike Thailand, which controls 84 per cent of the global cassava market, even as the third largest producer.

    The result, he said, was the rapid growth of the economy of Thailand which unemployment rate is 0.4 per cent compared to Nigeria’s 24 per cent. Cassava exploitation expected to correct the inbalance in the Nigerian child’s nutrition.

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 43 per cent of children under five in Nigeria are stunted, a figure considered too high when compared to the 39 per cent for other developing countries; 26 per cent in Ghana; Benin, 25 per cent; 29 per cent in Botswana; Burkina Faso and Cameroon, 29 per cent each and  Kenya, 33 per cent.

    Nigeria will save the much needed foreign exchange from cassava exploitation since manufacturers can get ethanol locally.

    Adesina said Nigeria must accelerates policy measures to improve health and nutrition of vulnerable groups, especially women, infants and children. He emphasised the need to promote its use for assorted products, improve dietary diversity through home production of a diversity of foods.

    Adesina said: “The President has set a clear direction: we must eat what we produce, and produce what we eat. Mr. President eats cassava bread.

    “Our cassava flour policy is directed at replacing some of the wheat flour in bread, to save over N250 billion annually in wheat imports.

    “Our research institutes, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Federal Institute for Industrial Research(FIIRO), have produced cassava bread and we are proud of the achievement”.

    Minister of Commerce, Trade and Investment Dr. Olusegun Aganga, he said the inroad into the development of cassava would reduce the government’s importation of wheat, which costs about N635 billion yearly through a proportionate addition of cassava flour.

    About 40 per cent of well-processed High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), he said, would be added to wheat flour to achieve the Nigerian cassava bread initiative. This would reduce the importation of wheat by 40 per cent and save the country a lot deal in foreign exchange, he added.