Cassava more popular among the older populations in major cities in Tanzania

Over a half of the population in the three major cities in Tanzania eat cassava but nearly everyone eats maize.Furthermore, the hardy root crop, was found to be more popular among the older people who preferred  it in the form of ‘ugali’ made from its flour while the young population mostly ate it boiled.

Dr Adebayo Abass, IITA's value addition specialist briefs the cassava processors on the harmonized cassava flour standard

There is therefore a huge potential to increase the market for cassava in the country by getting more people to eat it especially the urban youth says Dr Adebayo Abass, a value chain specialist from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). 

Dr Abass was speaking at a recent training on standards for cassava flour in East Africa for cassava processors from Kigoma, Pwani and Mwanza regions held at the Lake Zone Agricultural Research Institute (LZARD) in Mwanza. The five East Africa countries harmonized their standards for cassava and potato and their products to facilitate cross-border trade.

Dr Abass said the study commissioned by IITA and conducted by Consumer Insight, asked 1,464 people in the major cities in Tanzania the important crops in their daily food. Over a half of them, 53% said they ate cassava compared to 100% of maize. 65% of them said they ate it boiled cassava while 67% consumed it as a stiff porridge ‘ugali’ made from the flour. 

Anna Mhalu from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (second from left) oversees the practical session during the training on standards.

 “Looking at age differences, a majority of the young people between 18-24 consumed boiled cassava while among the older generation, most preferred to eat ugali made from its flour. Most of the younger people (70%)said they would like to eat cassava ugali, if the flour was white and not smelly” he said.

According to the researcher, ugali made from some traditional cassava flour is smelly while the modern processing method developed by IITA through and tested in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperation (MAFC) and the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center (TFNC) and other partners gives non-smelly cassava ugali.

According to the study, conducted between May and July 2013, the region with the highest consumers of cassava was Mwanza and mostly in the form of cassava ugali. It was least popular in Arusha possibly because the cassava flour available in the market is grey in color (33%).

Looking at quality issues, the study found that 44% of the population wanted the cassava flour to be finely milled, 33% said they did not want smelly flour and 30% wanted it white in colour. And when asked where they wanted to buy their flour, majority said at the kiosks in the neighborhood. Only 9% said the supermarkets. Two thirds of the people interviewed also said they found it difficult to find the cassava flour because it was not available in the kiosks.

The processors spread the dried cassava mash on a raised platform to keep off livestock and dust to avoid contamination of the floor and preferably on dry black plastic bags which trap heat hastening the drying process.

Abass further advised the processors, “Looking at the whole population, majority want the flour to be white and finely milled. No one wants grey and smelly flour. That is how you should process your flour. Many of you have been targeting supermarkets, now you need to start considering the kiosks– the small shops within the residences.”

Dr Abass also added that a majority of those interviewed said that they did not want the cassava and maize flours mixed together by the processors. They prefer to buy each separately and mix at home themselves as they wish. They also preferred the packing to be in one kg packets.

The training was conducted by researchers from IITA and Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) with funds from Association for Strengthening Agriculture Research in East and Central Africa, (ASARECA).

“Take opportunities in baking bread with 40 percent cassava”

The Head of the Hotel and Catering Unit of IITA, Mr Samiran Mazumdar, has unveiled the opportunities in including cassava in baking, with a call on the IITA Agripreneurs to take advantage of the technology.

In a lecture on 23 August 2013, he encouraged them to be actively involved in initiatives that would promote the inclusion of cassava in making bread and confectionary.

He highlighted the benefits from including cassava as follows: employment creation, food self-sufficiency, and food security, and called on the Agripreneurs to be innovative in terms proffering ways that would disseminate the technology far and wide.

As developed by IITA, the inclusion of 40 percent cassava flour in baking aims at diversifying the uses of the root crop. The Nigerian Government estimates foreign exchange savings of over N250 billion annually from a cut in wheat imports.

Other benefits include a better price for cassava and improved livelihoods for cassava farmers.

Mr Mazumdar urged the Agripreneurs to consider marketing the cassava bread in kiosks located at strategic locations in Nigeria, baking and/or being actively involved in raising awareness on the economic and health benefits of including cassava in food.

Other resource persons who gave presentations were IITA biometrician, Mr Sam Korie, and IITA Postharvest Engineer, Mr Thierno Diallo.

Niji Farms encourages Agripreneurs’ interest in agriculture

IITA Agripreneurs and Malawian farmers in group photo at
Niji Farms

A learning visit to the cassava farm, over 3000 ha, owned and managed by a young Nigerian, Mr Kola Adeniji, was tiring but also inspiring.

Mr Adeniji , who sits at the head of the Board of Niji Farms, is one of those successful young farmers in Nigeria.

He told the visitors, “We are redefining agriculture… many people look down on farmers but we want to change that.”

The factory processes cassava into High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), odourless fufu flour, and gari. The gari and fufu are exported to countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Apart from having a vast hectarage , Niji Farms is fully automated, yet built on indigenous technology.

“We believe that what is needed to develop Africa is in Africa… so we try as much as possible to have 100 percent local content,” Mr Adeniji said.

The visit gave the Agripreneurs the opportunity to have an overview of Niji farm, to see how Mr Adeniji managed his farm, and also the types of machinery he used for the processing of food products.

Mr Adeniji noted that he was inspired to invest in agriculture after coming in contact with IITA and thanked the Institute for supporting his farm with improved cassava planting materials.

Although the farm mostly grows cassava, Mr Adeniji has also forayed into growing maize and keeping livestock.

“I am looking at integrating all the areas of agriculture … to making a model farm,” he said.

IITA Agripreneurs who visited the farm testified that the farm is a perfect example, demonstrating that agriculture indeed pays off.

Cassava flour maker wants the Agripreneurs to ‘have big dreams’

Thai Farms... Nigeria’s biggest cassava flour maker

Thai Farm Nigeria Ltd, makers of cassava flour, has urged the IITA Agripreneurs to have a vision about investments in agriculture. The Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director, Mr Louw Burger, gave the advice during their learning visit to the factory on 27 August 2013.

On the team also were Malawian cassava processors and the IITA Communication Officer, Mr. Godwin Atser.

In his presentation, Mr Burger encouraged the team to have big dreams, stating that the challenges faced while carrying out small projects are the same as those encountered in bigger undertakings.

He gave a talk on how Thai Farm came into being, the firm’s success stories, as well as its present challenges. He explained the processes involved in the conversion of cassava roots to High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), and highlighted the uses of the by-products.

The team raised questions which were satisfactorily answered. At the factory, a detailed tour was taken, with the guests seeing all the processes involved in the making of HQCF, right from root testing (i.e., testing starch content of the cassava roots) to the packaging of the end product. Mr Burger also shared some of his expansion plans with the visitors. Two members of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs, Bekee Barituka and Lamidi Funmilola, said the visit was educative and inspiring. They were grateful for the opportunity to see cassava processing on a large scale and its potential in creating employment and wealth.