By NCGA
GROWING and
producing cassava for local consumption, processing for industry use and
meeting the standard of exportation is a huge investment that can transform
Nigeria’s economy with its potential to earn over ₦10 trillion annually and turn individuals to
millionaires, even multi billionaires from cassava project
Nigeria is
the highest producer of cassava in the world with over 40 million metric tonnes
per annul. About 60 per cent of Nigerian farmers are involved in cassava
production because it is one of the food security crops.
Cassava roots can grow on any soil in Nigeria and it is virtually grown in the 36 states of the federation. It is very resistant to drought and survives in a variety of soils. But today investors are yet to understand the untapped investment opportunities and farmers hardly see cassava crop as avenue to hit hard currency.
Cassava
tubers that may be processed into a variety of products that are gaining huge
demand in the
export market including chips, flakes popularly known as garri, cubes, peeler, starch for industrial and pharmaceutical use, flour, which can be eaten as elubo lafun or used in the bakery industry, pellets, glues and adhesives, ethanol and glucose syrup, among others.
export market including chips, flakes popularly known as garri, cubes, peeler, starch for industrial and pharmaceutical use, flour, which can be eaten as elubo lafun or used in the bakery industry, pellets, glues and adhesives, ethanol and glucose syrup, among others.
Besides, the
products also have huge demands in Nigeria and other European countries like
United Kingdom, Germany and France as well as America and China. It was
revealed in 2013 by the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Akinwumi Adesina, that China alone requires about 3.2 million tonnes of dry
cassava chips, which would earn farmers and processors about $800 million.
Already,
Nigeria has released two improved cassava varieties in an effort to maintain
its lead as the world’s largest producer of the root crop and improve incomes
of farmers.
The
varieties were developed through a collaborative effort between the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Nigerian Root
Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike in Abia State. The two varieties
were originally recognized as IITA-developed genotypes: IITA-TMS-I982132 and
IITA-TMS-I011206. But with the official release, they are now known as Umucass
42 and Umucass 43, respectively. Both varieties performed well in different
cassava production regions of Nigeria with high yield, high dry matter and good
disease resistance. The roots of these varieties are yellow and contain
moderate levels of pro-vitamin A. Part of the efforts on improved cassava
varieties was to enable farmers to make millions from cassava production.
Speaking
with Daily Sun, the National President of Cassava Growers Association, Pastor
Segun Adewunmi, said that from cassava alone, Nigeria could make twice what
the country was making at the peak of crude oil production. He pointed out that
Nigeria has 84 million hectares of arable land, that if five million of
hectares can be developed in five years, it would be enough to provide ₦10 trillion annually through industrial cassava to
Nigeria’s economy.
He added:
“From cassava you get ethanol in two grades, including bio-fuel and the food
grade. The food grade we are using in this country is worth ₦3 trillion and we have not even started with the one
of bio-fuel and industrial starch.
If you’re
interested in large scale cassava farming we advise you to become a member of:-
NCGA (Nigeria Cassava Grower Association)
NCGA (Nigeria Cassava Grower Association)
