Cassava Transformation: Breaking the limits of climate change

Scientists from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan and partners have successfully established a 100-hectare farm with cassava in Tureta, Sokoto State ―one of the semi-arid regions of Nigeria—breaking the barriers posed by climate change, and reinforcing the scientific theory that the root crop could be a lifeline to farmers in drought-prone regions, and even in the face of climate change.

Dr Okechukwu (second from right), Abubakar (fourth from right)
 and other farmers at the cassava farm

Dr Richardson Okechukwu, Leader of Nigeria’s Cassava Transformation Agenda at IITA, who gave technical backstopping to the successful establishment of the cassava farm in that region said, “Results from Sokoto clearly show that cassava is a crop that can guarantee food security in Africa.”

“This gives opportunity for farmers in the northern parts of Nigeria to grow cassava and reap the benefits,” he added.

Located in northwest Nigeria, Sokoto is characterized by Sahel savanna, and surrounded by isolated hills. The rainy season in the state is from June to October. From late October to February, during the cold season, the climate is dominated by the Harmattan wind blowing Sahara dust over the land. The dust dims the sunlight thereby lowering temperatures significantly and also leading to the inconvenience of dust everywhere in houses.

Despite the limitations of the terrain, farmer Salihu Abubakar of Saajab Farms contacted IITA via the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for help to enable him to establish a cassava farm in the region.

“It was a great challenge … the challenge of water and also that of termites. The first materials we planted were eaten by termites… but we never gave up. The challenge of water was solved through irrigation while we used neem to treat the planting materials,” Dr Okechukwu explained.

By taking heed to counsel from researchers, farmer Abubakar is now the owner of a 100-ha cassava farm in one of Nigeria’s semi-arid zones, and the farm is expanding.

The 100-ha cassava farm in Sokoto

Farmer Abubakar said he had secured contracts from several countries including China to export cassava chips, and his farm would contribute significantly in meeting the demand.

The success of the farm has been hailed by the State Government with the Governor of the state pledging to support the investment by providing the enabling environment.

The farm successfully demonstrates how a former “waste land” can be converted to productive land, thanks to the Cassava Transformation Agenda and the work of researchers at IITA.

“For me, all I can say is that I am grateful to IITA,” farmer Abubakar said.

Researchers and partners discuss value addition in cassava through cassava-based feeds

Participants in the workshop.

More than 50 experts on cassava, nutrition and livestock, the private sector—represented by producers and feed millers—and representatives from donor groups, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, and development partners, came together in IITA this week to discuss how cassava residues or by-products such as cassava peels can be used in industry and to add value to the industrial cassava value chain.

The meeting, held at IITA 28-30 October, aimed to come up with a roadmap for developing a cassava-based feed system for livestock, an action plan for Nigeria, and pilot projects that would serve as models in Africa.

The meeting was organized by IITA, GCP21, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the CGIAR Research Programs on Roots, Tubers and Bananas, Livestock and Fish, and Humidtropics, and the private livestock feed sector.

As part of Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Program, the cassava transformation plan seeks to create a new generation of cassava farmers, producers, and processors oriented towards commercial production to generate  cassava for specific value-added chains. The plan aims to turn the cassava sector in Nigeria into a major player in the local and international production and processing arena for flour, starch, sweeteners, ethanol and dried chips markets through private sector-led value-added chains.

Traditionally small farmers discard the peels that are left as waste near processing locations for feeding their animals (poultry, goats and pigs). Few attempts have been made to establish a nutritionally and economically sustainable cassava-based feed system using local products to replace imported products in the feed industry.

Enhanced production under the Cassava Transformation Plan will produce over 2 million tonnes of additional cassava by-products each year, offering a unique opportunity to support a cassava-based feed system at an industrial scale.

The use of cassava-based feeds in Nigeria will bring several benefits including cutting down on maize imports, most of which are used as feeds for livestock, according to the researchers.

“Africa imported maize worth US$4.63 billion in 2011 of which Nigeria’s feed industry alone accounted for 1.2 million tons worth about $350 million,” says Dr Iheanacho Okike, Country Representative for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) based in Ibadan.

“If we use cassava peels for livestock feeds, for instance, we will be able to reduce the amount we spend on maize importation, and more importantly reduce the competition between man and livestock for maize,” he added.

Efforts to transform Nigeria’s agriculture have raised the production of cassava to more than 50 million tons per annum, with several factories now processing cassava to products such as flour, gari, glucose, and ethanol. This growing demand and processing of cassava is also churning out cassava residues including cassava peels to the environment.

Dr Peter Kulakow, IITA Cassava Breeder, said the “use of cassava peels in livestock
is a win-win situation for both agriculture and the environment. It is basically converting waste to wealth,” he added.

Dr Claude Fauquet, Director of GCP 21, said the use of cassava-based feeds would widen the opportunities for cassava farmers and help alleviate poverty.

Dr Claude Fauquet, Director of GCP 21, during the opening program.

According to him, Africa, being the lead producer, needs to take advantage of the crop, by creating/tapping into value addition.

Fauquet also said Nigeria produces 50% of the world’s cassava although poverty levels in the country remained high when compared with Latin America and Asia.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina praised IITA for its continuing work on cassava and for hosting the conference.

He said the government had concluded arrangements to establish additional ethanol and starch processing industries in three cities across the country to create more value addition for cassava.

Represented by Dr Martin Fregene, Senior Technical Advisor, the minister said on completion, the factories would be producing cassava residues which if converted to feeds would create additional jobs and incomes for the country.

According to him, the nation’s agricultural transformation plan aims to create about 3.5 million jobs through the establishment of agro-based industries by 2015.