Cassava plays a number of different but equally important roles in African development. However, the bulk of cassava
productions in Nigeria is consumed as food. 93 percent of Nigeria’s cassava production in the mid 1990s was consumed as food, 6 percent
was used as livestock feed, and only 1 percent was used as industrial raw material. By contrast, 48 percent of the cassava
production in Asia during the same period was consumed as food, 40 percent used for export,
8 percent used as livestock feed and 4 percent used as industrial raw material (IFAD & FAO of United Nations 2000)
Cassava plays the following roles, viz
1. Famine
– Reserve Crop
Cassava stands out of all crops because role. It has this added advantage over other crops,
perhaps, this makes it so popular in Africa. Cassava can be plated at any time of the year,
provided there is enough moisture for rooting of the stem planted to commence. It can be harvested at anytime and its harvesting
can be delayed, if needs be, without a major change in the quality and composition of roots. Cassava has the ability to be left in the ground for up to 4years before harvesting, thus, some families decide
to reserve it in the time of drought and famine.
Cassava’s year-round harvest availability, in contrast to grain such as maize, which
has a harvest season of 30 – 60 days, is another importance aspect of its role as a food reserve crops such as sorghum
and maize are in larger quantity and abundant during their harvest time ( season) but they become search after this period,
this to what is generally known as ‘’hungry season’’. In Nigeria
and other Africa Country, civil war, ethnic and Religion crises and repressive government
contribute immensely to food insecurity. During this period of restiveness, cassava has several advantages over most staple
crops. During war time, people run away to save their lives, they leaves everything they have got on the farm, they will be
unable to predict when they will be back, cassava with this attribute will be intact without deterioration but other crops
may not be able to withstand this kind of situation.
The establishment cost of cassava production for home consumption is generally low because
stem cuttings and family labour are the main inputs. Since the roots can be stored in the ground for several months and even
up to 4 years without major change in composition and quality, refuges can always find their cassava farms unharvested upon
their return home.
2. Rural Food Staple
Cassava plays a role as a central rural food staple in the rural areas, especially place
where farmer are unable to deliver cassava products to urban markets because of poor roads. Cassava is an important rural
food staple in major tree crop producing areas. Tree crop farmer product cassava for home consumption because cassava production
does not have the time bound labour requirement that tree crop production does. Cassava has cheaper source of calories and
it helps the rural poor to survive. The quality of life of the rural people is extremely low and their poverty level is very
high
3. Cash Crop and Urban Food Staple
Currently, In Nigeria,
cassava is produced primarily as a cash crop and processed mostly for sale in urban markets. Nigeria is now in the urban food staple stage of the transformation. NCGA finds
out that commercial production and processing of cassava products for urban markets is driven by high yielding cassava varieties
increasing urban demand for food availability of improved rural roads for the transport of cassava to urban markets centers.
Cassava is produced and processed into a variety of low cost, convenient food product for sales in urban centres and foreign
markets. Cassava is playing an increasingly important role as a cash crop destined for urban markets.
Improved processing methods will aid farmer to prepare an away of cassava food products
that are suitable for consumption in the urban environment. The increasing urbanization and consumer demand for convent food
product in Nigeria have stimulated the
urban demand for cassava products such as gari.
4.
Livestock Feed.
Historically and currently, Cassava plays a mirror roles
as an ingredient in livestock feed in Africa because cassava is often more expensive than
imported maize for this purpose. In the whole African only 6 percent of total cassava production was used as livestock feed,
contrary to about 50 percent of total cassava production was used as livestock feed in mid-1990s (IFAD and FAO of the United
Nations) In 1985 the government of Nigeria banned importation of maize and compelled live stock feed mills to look for local crops source such as cassava. As a result, the proportion of total cassava production used as
livestock feed increased to 10 percent from 3 percent 1986-1990 and 1991 1995 (FAOSTAT) though the ban was later lifted. Presently
African’s cassava pellets are presently uncompetitive in European livestock feed markets because of high cost of production
and transportation in Africa.
Cassava use in livestock feed in Europe
rose from 1.5 million tons (dry weight equivalent) in the early 70’s to 7million tons in 1989, before declining to 3.6
million tons in 1994. The production of cassava in Africa for export is notoriously unstable
because of wealther-induced fluctuations in food production (FAOSTAT). Africa’s unstable supply of cassava discourages
European buyers, who have a long history of relying on more stable Asian and Latin American suppliers.
5.
Industrial Raw Materials.
Cassava starch is a raw material used in numerous industries,
but it faces stiff competition from starch that is derived from numerous other plant sources such as maize, potato, wheat,
rice etc. Cassava starch is an important source of industrial raw material in Asia & Latin America (IFAD & FAO of
UN 2000).Presently, just 3% of cassava starch is currently used in Nigeria.
The cost of cassava is high which results from inefficient cassava production and processing methods. Industries using starch
include pharmaceuticals, adhesives, textile, packaging, food manufacture and batteries. In 1989, they demanded for 60,000
tons of starch, which was equivalent to 300, 000 tons of fresh cassava roots and represented only 1.5 percent of Nigeria’s annual cassava production (Nweke 1992)
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