CASSAVA VALUE CHAIN, THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Introduction: Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world, with a total production of 55million MT of fresh cassava roots in 2014.
Despite her comparative advantage in cassava production, Nigeria is not one of the major player in the global value-added trade of cassava-based products.

Furthermore, Nigeria is a large importer of wheat grain, starch, sweeteners, ethanol etc that can be partially or completely substituted for cassava-based products. With an import bill of over N635 billion annually on wheat imports, cheap wheat imports have meant massive loss of jobs in the local agricultural sector that can produce alternatives. Wheat flour can be partially substituted with High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) which Nigeria can produce in abundance.

Objective:  The aims of Cassava Value Chain are:

    i.     To increase productivity and production of cassava through accelerated dissemination of improved high yielding and disease resistant varieties and adoption of improved production practices by farmers.

    ii.     To improve the efficiency of primary cassava production and expand the processing of cassava into HQCF and other cassava-based products. The emphasis is on import substitution, particularly to replace up to 20% of the imported wheat with HQCF for use in bread, confectionaries, pasta and so on through the 20% partial replacement of wheat flour with HQCF.

   iii.     Encouraging large scale commercial cassava production capable of attracting foreign investors into the Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZ) for cassava. This will however increase the production and utilization of cassava into HQCF; Dried Chips; Starch and Sweeteners; Ethanol and Traditional foods.

   iv.     Create sustainable jobs along the value chains.

Programme of Activities

The former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, approved the sum of N9.99 billion naira for the implementation of the Cassava Bread Initiative in July 2013. Immediately thereafter, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture constituted an Oversight Advisory Committee that fashioned out the implementation of the Project/Initiative. The initial goals set for the project was to provide support to the following components:

 i.     Production Support – Development of Cassava Root Supply Chain

     a.    6,400 Ha of Land Development – Clearing & mechanized farming

      b.   5,000 Ha Establishment under mechanised farming

      c.   29,500 Ha Establishment by small scale farmers.

ii.     Processors Support - Support to HQCF producers through equipment support, provision of working capital and instituting Minimum Guaranteed Price.

iii.     Equipment Support and capacity building for Master Bakers/ Processors

iv.     Social Marketing to create awareness

v.     Research & Development

ACHIEVEMENTS: Since its inception in 2012, the value chain has achieved the following:

§  The universal inclusion 3-5% of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in all bread and confectioneries baked in the country.  The two largest wheat millers in the country, Honeywell and Flour Mills of Nigeria, launched branded 10% HQCF composite flour products.

§  Wheat imports declined from an all-time high of 4,051,000 MT in 2010 to 3,700,000 MT in 2012; and will decrease further as cassava and HQCF production accelerates. 

§  Successfully launched 20% cassava flour composite bread for production of commercial 20% cassava bread by 55 Master bakers and industrial-scale bakers also successfully launched 20% cassava bread across the country. 

§  Trained 2,200 Master bakers to produce 20% cassava bread

§  130 Master Bakers also received equipment, such as mixers, rotary ovens, and chillers, worth a total of N1.6billion.

§  Upgraded 40 existing small mills and constructing medium-sized ones from less than one MT of HQCF/day to three MT of HQCF/day. 

§  Facilitated the establishment of six medium-sized HQCF mills among the 18 plants envisaged.

§  Clearing of 6, 400Ha for establishing cassava farms at various locations for new or proposed HQCF mills across the country

§  Distribution of 130.59million stems of improved high starch varieties to over 80,132 farmers used in the establishment of 43,000Ha of cassava fields

§  Trained 150 medium farmers and extension agents in modern high gross margin cassava production. 

§  The first batch of 125MT of chips was exported to China in September 2013.

§  Constructed six model cassava dried chips/grits production demonstration facilities dried chips production facilities.

§  Completed a study on Cassava Market and Trade Development Corporation (CMTDC).

Future Prospect

§  Increase Capacity building for the HQCF Processor.

§  Training of the remaining 4,260 Master Bakers across the country

§  More processors to be supported in acquiring flash dryers

§  More lands are cleared mechanically to farmlands with cassava farmers adequately deployed to upscale production

§  Increase the availability of 60MT/day HQCF plant in the country