Stakeholders expand cassava uses to attract more earnings
Current development drive in the cassava value chain in some African countries, including Nigeria, is expected to increase local and foreign earnings as well as improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per annum.
The projected development in cassava value chain as it focuses on cassava processing to feed beer, ethanol, starch, flour mills and livestock feed plants, is traceable to effective implementation of multi-national project in the African countries such as Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania under the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA II) scheme being sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Speaking during a working visit to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Orin Hasson, programme officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, requested African countries to scale-up their level of investment in the cassava sector in order to enhance productivity and commercialisation of the root crop.
He noted that in order to achieve the main goal of the project, which is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, there was the need to expand investments in cassava production and create new markets where smallholder farmers could sell their cassava roots for the improvement of African economy.
Okaasai Opolot, who represented the Ugandan minister of agriculture, said cassava was an important crop in Africa, particularly in Uganda, where the root crop is among the top five priority crops as it is the most cultivated crop after banana, adding that cassava was capable of reducing poverty in Africa enabling environment was guaranteed for its production and processing.
He said: “Cassava is among the top five priority crops in Uganda. In our recent report, CAVA II has contributed to increasing the incomes of smallholder cassava farmers and community processing groups by linking the farmers to large-scale companies. African countries should provide an enabling environment for the production of the root crop, which is capable of reducing poverty in Africa.”
Williams Otim-Nape, chairman of Africa Innovations Institute (AfrII), said CAVA II, Uganda, under AfrII was prepared to take cassava to greater heights, urging Ugandans and other African countries to prepare for cassava transformation in the country, but, required a tax holiday for production and usage of High QualityCassava Flour (HQCF) in order to spur rapid and meaningful growth in the industry.
“I urge Ugandans and well-wishers to join us and be part of the revolution. To governments, we urge you to put in place, the enabling environment and incentive framework, to support rapid cassava transformation in the country.
“For instance, I do not see the rationale for incurring huge foreign exchange bills on the importation of wheat flour and barley when cassava could as well do the job. We need government’s intervention to absorb risks for those wanting to innovate in using cassava in making industrial products. “In addition, tax exemptions for those producing and using High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in industries is urgent,” he said.
Responding, Olusola Oyewole, FUNAAB vice-chancellor and president Association of African Universities, who received the principal officials of C:AVA II, lauded the leadership of the project and partnership of the financier, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, saying C:AVA II was smoothly implemented in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda.
The vice-chancellor said: “The issue that we thought would be a problem, which is the proper and timely release of funds has not been a problem. There has not been an issue with the funding, the funds are timely and properly released, as demanded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”
While giving an update of the project’s activities, the project director, Kolawole Adebayo, pointed out that CAVA II was an opportunity for FUNAAB to be a leader in the rank of African institutions that were being tested for the management of grants, adding that the project would open doors of opportunities for other African institutions.
“Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is very interested in the project. It is the Foundation’s main experiment in providing funds directly to African institutions for implementing multi-country projects. We are mindful of this. So, we ensure 100 percent transparency and accountability in the management of the project,” he noted.
Adebayo also disclosed that CAVA II had maintained utmost meticulousness in ensuring proper management and timely release of project funds.
“Proper funds management is very important in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. So, we make sure that the transfer of funds have been timely. Between May and September last year, everybody got their money as and when due. We also ask for prompt reporting of accounts and our partners have been providing that, too.”
Lateef Sanni, country manager of CAVA II, Nigeria, highlighted some of the successes recorded by the project in the country. “We have signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), with the biggest cassava processing company in Nigeria, which is Thai Farms International. It uses about 60 tonnes of cassava daily and we are mobilising farmers to deliver cassava roots to it (Thai Farms). Greentech Company has also signed MoU with us to deliver roots to their factories. We have also signed
MoU with Allied Atlantic Distillers Limited (AADL).
“We are working with 20 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), who are benefiting from the Cassava Transformation Agenda Programme (CTAP). Those 20 SMEs are being strengthened by CAVA II in terms of logistics. So, we are working with farmers and developing markets.
“CAVA II has been having what we call strategic policy meeting. Last November, we had what we call
National Starch Business Meeting, it was very timely because the cassava starch industry in the country is not being supported. Most of the private companies in the sector see CAVA II as their champion to acquit them. We would be inviting the university management and the vice-chancellor to some of these dialogues occasionally,” he said.
RAZAQ AYINLA