Innovating in Cassava cultivation: Possibilities for collaboration with India to add value and increase productivity
Agriculture and nutrition together play an integral part in the socio-economic growth of developing nations. Traditionally, yams and plantains were staple food crops in South Asian and African countries. Over the past few decades, Cassava has been cultivated as a major famine-reserve crop which feeds about 300 million people in the continent and serves 40% of daily calorie intake across countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, and the Central African Republic. The tropical root-vegetable, high in nutritional value, is mainly cultivated for local consumption and exported in lower volumes. Ironically, African farmers are finding it quite challenging to apply innovative concepts and technology to maximize yield per hectare and value to yield, even though Nigeria and Congo Democratic Republic are leading in cassava production, globally. There is substantial opportunity to improve existing infrastructure, technical know-how to promote Cassava production, processing and consumption at a larger scale.
How can African countries benefit from Cassava cultivation in India?
The value chain for Cassava cultivation in India is driven through extensive R&D in the public sector which has resulted in high yielding and disease resistance crop varieties. Cassava-based processed foods from the private sector have high demand for domestic consumption as well as global export. The best practices in Cassava cultivation and processing in India can be effectively implemented among other tropical countries in Africa, as well.
Africa and India – A comparison on Cassava production
Yield is the key differentiator between Cassava cultivation in India and Africa. While Africa has the lowest yield of Cassava production with 8.8 tonnes per hectare, India yields higher Cassava production of 27.9 tonnes per hectare owing to its extensive and continuous R&D in Cassava cultivation and infrastructure development for processing Cassava. The South-east Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia are the major suppliers of cassava to the world market, contributing about 80 and 10 percent of global Cassava trade, respectively, And, South Asian countries are now in the course of optimizing their Cassava production and processing efficiency.
For more details on innovations within the Cassava value chain please visit our dedicated resources page.
The role of the public sector in Cassava cultivation
In India, Cassava is largely cultivated in southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in collaboration with its Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) has done an extensive research and development on Cassava production and consumption. It has an international patent for starch based biodegradable plastic, in addition to several Indian patents which includes a mobile starch extraction unit for Cassava and a low cost bio-technique to extract starchy flour with modified functional attributes from Cassava.
The role of the private sector in Cassava cultivation
Several processed food products made from Cassava adds to the nutritional value of the food. For instance, cassava flour or tapioca is used to substitute wheat flour for cooking, in African countries. Similarly, in India a number of processed foods made from Cassava are made part of local food diet. It includes Sago or Sabudana, Starch, Chips and flour as well as Wafer and Papad. There are about 400 sago-producing units and 400-500 starch-processing units in Tamil Nadu, India. While Cassava chips and flour are used as ingredients in cattle feed units, adhesives, sizing, snack foods, etc. Most of the Cassava production in India is processed not only for local consumption but also for large volumes of export.
Private companies like LABH Group and Four Brothers India manufacture and export Cassava processing machines like peelers, graters, cake disintegrator, driers, fryers, roasters and chippers from India to a global market. And, equally high-end Cassava processing machines are manufactured to cater to a large domestic market present within the country.
Connect to Grow supports collaborative partnerships in Cassava
The Connect to Grow team is here to support South Asian and African enterprises interested in exploring how they can partner with Indian enterprises to grow.
If you are an established African or South Asian enterprise who wishes to access technical and financial support you to build a partnership with an Indian Enterprise please register on our online marketplace.
If you have any question about the programme please email info@connecttogrow.org. We look forward to hearing from African organizations interested in exploring new opportunities, innovative ideas and technology from across the Indian subcontinent on Cassava cultivation.