According to the Managing Director, Nigerian Incentive Based- Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Aliyu Abdulhameed, although cassava was a main source of nutrition for over one billion people across the globe, the cassava value chain had not reached its full potential as a tool for the transformation of African economies through industrialisation.
Abdulhameed, who spoke at the just concluded 4th International Cassava Conference held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, lamented that despite Africa having a comparative advantage in cassava production, most African countries still rely solely on imports from other continents to meet industrial requirements for starch, high-quality cassava flour, ethanol and glucose production.
ALSO READ: FG inaugurates committee on National Sports Festival
“According to FAO, Africa produces over 54% of the worlds cassava, with Nigeria taking the global lead with a production of about 54.8 million MT in 2014. Nevertheless, with an average yield of 7.7 MT per hectare, Nigeria’s cassava production is low compared to the 23.4 MT and 22.2 MT average yield per hectare produced in Indonesia and Thailand respectively.” He said.
“This low production hampers the development of industrial processing of cassava due to the competition between sustenance production, industry and the peculiarities in its cultivation.” He added.
The NIRSAL director, however, said for the crop to serve as catalyst for the transformation of the African economy, cassava value chain required financial services that can support larger agricultural investments to improve access to quality inputs and mechanisation services for smallholder farmers.
and then