Cassava’s industrial and commercial application has huge potential in Africa! Cassava-based beers are already available in the market. High quality cassava flour (HQCF) – that can be an affordable partial substitute for wheat flour – has promising value too. Nigeria is likely to use 20% cassava flour into wheat flour that can save the country N163 billion annually and create about 3 million jobs!
Ghana is the third largest cassava producer in Africa and sixth globally but the country merely uses 0.5% of its annual cassava for industrial purposes.
“Ghana Minister of Food and Agriculture Fiifi Kwetey said government is considering a policy to use high quality cassava flour in the food industry and government will continue to work with local and international partners in addressing the challenges facing the cassava value chain.” September 2015, http://www.theafricareport.com/
“Dr Ekwow Spio-Gabrah, Ghana Minister for Trade and Industry, said cassava now held the potential to transform the economy. He said however, that more than 45% of the cassava produced in the country went to waste due to post harvest losses.” September 2015, graphic.com.gh
With challenges of low-shelf life of cassava roots, large-scale commercial application is underexplored in Africa. Most of the cassava is wasted because of the huge time gap between production and marketing. Africa’s cassava yield also remains low due to lack of disease-resistant seed varieties and inadequate mechanization.
CMT’s 2nd Cassava World Africa brings together people in plantation business and end users of cassava from food to biofuels to discuss the crop’s market outlook. From food and industrial applications, investment opportunities in the region, value addition, transportation & logistics challenges, industry players will present real business case studies, country-focused sessions, sustainable solutions to increase commercialisation and utilisation and provide answers to:
- How out-grower scheme can bridge the production and marketing gap?
- What are the solutions to current supply chain bottlenecks?
- How farmers can access improved seed varieties with higher disease-resistance?
- How to prevent cassava diseases?
- What kind of mechanization is available for farmers?
- Where to source finances to enhance cassava mechanization and plantation?
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