Cassava
is a staple food produced in high quantity in the tropics. It is one of the
most consumed food crop and also serves as a source of export as it is
being used even in countries beyond our coast as food, animal feed and source
of ethanol in countries like China and Europe. Cassava is the raw material for
many local food products which include garri, fufu, lafun etc. It also serves
as a source of livestock feed domestically.
The
favorable climatic condition has made it easy to cultivate cassava on a large scale
in Nigeria. Cassava can be further processed into many food products even on a
commercial scale to generate income. In the last one and a half decade
government has shown much interest in this crop as a sure means of wealth
creation for Nigerians locally and as a foreign exchange earner.
Guidelines
for having a lucrative cassava farm:
Land: The acquisition
of a piece of land with highly nutritious soil is the most important and most
challenging part of this business as so applies to other aspects of farming
depending on the farm location. It is also important to acquire high yield
quality seed for planting.
Information:
You can attend seminars and trainings and also do some researches in this field
so as to improve your knowledge in this line of farming and business.
Processing:
Cassava because of the high moisture content is highly perishable and it is very
important to make sure it is transported for processing within 48 hours of
harvest. Cassava can be processed into cassava chips, cassava pellet, cassava flakes, cassava starch and cassava flour.
Marketing:
Both traditional and digital marketing methods can be use in locating customers
home and abroad for cassava and its derivatives.
Every aspect of cassava is very useful from its leaves, stem right to the tubers. Whether as food for human consumption or as animal feed or for industrial use, cassava is useful globally and the demand for it keeps growing.