tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25360129626671428742024-03-17T16:21:38.173+07:00Cassava vs YamsCassava is really taste, more delicious but yams is good trulyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger435125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-79411805978789631142012-10-04T08:36:00.000+07:002012-10-04T08:36:00.337+07:00Transgenic cassava armed with twin illness resistance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDrKZ3LxWttSkOHWPujE_CRRcceyTtzlHoISVsLszWoOeOspW1-C3_ClRCqLcoXSls6eVMc_mLe47tnrtkKKwYOCYFJCuLZ8Cx3VVLWNUtQjTRJzSwHMW1stZv9ABap3BMsfD3sEXPvU8/s1600/1.11486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDrKZ3LxWttSkOHWPujE_CRRcceyTtzlHoISVsLszWoOeOspW1-C3_ClRCqLcoXSls6eVMc_mLe47tnrtkKKwYOCYFJCuLZ8Cx3VVLWNUtQjTRJzSwHMW1stZv9ABap3BMsfD3sEXPvU8/s200/1.11486.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Long a food staple in Africa, the common-or-garden cassava may be poised to develop even more vital as other crops resembling maize (corn) wither within the heat and drought of a warming climate. But agricultural scientists know that the hardy tuber has an Achilles Heel - disease - that might curb its future potential.<br />
<br />
With that risk in thoughts, researchers on the Swiss Federal Institute of Expertise (ETH) in Zurich this week report the event of a brand new transgenic cassava variety that's immune to a pair of viral illnesses which might be common in several parts of Africa. Revealed on 25 September in PLoS One, the work is a part of a broader effort by the ETH and different institutions to work with native scientists and farmers and then develop disease-resistant strains in addition to experience inside African labs.<br />
<br />
“If we need to get this moving into Africa, we need to have native folks on the bottom occupied with deploying this expertise,” says Herve Vanderschuren, lead writer on the research and head of a cassava analysis staff at the ETH. In parallel with the his work on illness resistant crops, Vanderschuren has labored with researchers Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa to develop a course of that permits for this work to be undertaken locally.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Cassava is a vital meals source for greater than a billion folks, from sub-Saharan Africa to Asia and Latin America. It's often planted alongside corn and different staples and acts as a form of hedge against heat and drought. However farmers and industry have their most popular varieties, and promoting new cultivars is more difficult as a result of the plant is propagated by cuttings, not seeds.<br />
<br />
Cassava’s future as a major food staple in Africa and beyond may rely each on scientists’ means to supply illness-resistant varieties and on farmers’ willingness to adopt them, says Andy Jarvis, a researcher on the Worldwide Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. In a world of droughts and scorching temperatures, “cassava is the final crop standing,” Jarvis says. “However the massive unknown is infective diseases.”<br />
<br />
Vanderschuren is working with researchers in a number of nations to standardize a course of that can permit this sort of work to proceed independently regardless of the sub-optimum lab conditions which have long hindered such work inAfrica. Scientists in Kenya and South Africa are already modifying native styles of crops on a routine basis, he says.<br />
<br />
One such scientist is Chrissie Rey at theUniversityofWitwatersrandinJohannesburg,South Africa. Rey says she started making an attempt to modify cassava in an old chemical storage room nicknamed the “broom closet” around 2000. She was recent off a sabbatical at theUniversityofCalifornia,Riverside, however her expertise there didn’t fairly translate when she and her college students went about the identical work inSouth Africa. Working with Vanderschuren, she has been capable of set up some fundamental protocols and is now doing her personal transformations. “There‘s a slight artwork to it, but he has made that art a bit easier,” she says.<br />
<br />
For their latest work, the Swiss crew began with a Nigerian selection that's naturally immune to mosaic disease, which has triggered crop harm all through sub-Saharan Africa for more than a century. The researchers then inserted viral DNA to engineer resistance to brown streak disease, which has been moving by way of eastern Africa during the previous decade.<br />
<br />
Comparable work can also be under manner on the Donald Danforth Plant Science Heart in St Louis, Missouri. Plant virologist Claude Fauquet says the center plans to start subject trials on one other variety with dual illness resistance next spring. However, he says, the Swiss staff is moving in the suitable direction by targeting a spread that is standard in Nigeria.<br />
<br />
His nightmare state of affairs is that the brown streak virus will cross over the mountains from japanese Africa, unfold via central Africa and make it to Nigeria earlier than scientists and farmers are ready. Nigeria is the primary cassava producer in the world, with yields of around forty two million tonnes yearly, he says, and a brown streak outbreak would be catastrophic.<br />
<br />
“Cassava could possibly be an excellent bet for the future, a sort of saviour,” says Fauquet. “However we now have to guantee that we don’t get a bunch of illnesses coming by means of to limit that capacity.”<br />
<br />
As co-chairman of a analysis consortium called the International Cassava Partnership for the twenty first Century, Fauquet is pushing for a coordinated international programme to halt or gradual brown streak disease. Though Europe was in a position to carry potato viruses under control with a coordinated worldwide effort after the Second World Conflict, he says, there isn't a precedent in Africa. “It might be unimaginable,” he says, “but if we don’t attempt in fact we're going to fail.”<span class="fullpost">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-30914777575581616312012-10-03T08:24:00.000+07:002012-10-03T08:24:00.156+07:00Nigeria to earn $136m from cassava subsequent 12 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1SUxEtH08EKHhZszvcHpMc5kRzAIeCrJ1W1RHRQmNmKw-e_b4kItPrWedt-IFx0L4veAr_NTE50_yMq4hdFBJRCf32xb6Y2rRp1d6UfRxlr_2wbVRIS_GpWCEqAZ7l4EOUzRu_YfrTTT/s1600/cassava1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1SUxEtH08EKHhZszvcHpMc5kRzAIeCrJ1W1RHRQmNmKw-e_b4kItPrWedt-IFx0L4veAr_NTE50_yMq4hdFBJRCf32xb6Y2rRp1d6UfRxlr_2wbVRIS_GpWCEqAZ7l4EOUzRu_YfrTTT/s200/cassava1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
To create worth within the cassava trade, Nigeria, the largest producer of cassava in the world would be exporting a complete of1.1 million metric tons of cassava chips within the next 12 months.<br /><br />This may earn Nigeria about $136 million.<br /><br />To capitalize on new opportunities to make use of cassava for modified starch to substitute imported corn starch, Nigeria may even be producing 280,000 metric tons of native modified cassava starch by 2015.<br /><br />“We are also profiting from the rising demand for dried cassava chips in China and few days in the past, our first shipment of cassava left the shores of Nigeria to China”.<br /><br />Dr Akinwunmi Ayo Adesina, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Growth of Nigeria, stated these on the Regional Creating Shared Value (CSV) Discussion board right here in Lagos, Nigeria, in a speech read for him.<br /><br />He stated Nigeria had succeeded in attracting a non-public investor, who could be investing six billion dollars in organising ethanol crops to use cassava and sugar cane as raw supplies to provide high fructose syrup that would replace a major share of the imported sugar utilized by smooth drink and juice industry.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The Discussion board, the primary of its variety underneath theme: “The Function of Enterprise in Meals Safety and Vitamin”, was organized by Nestlé in collaboration with the Lagos School of Enterprise, a Pan African University was attended by over 400 members from 22 nations in West and Central Africa.<br /><br />The discussion board formed a part of Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach, under which initiatives are designed to deal with the company’s business needs whereas scaling up sustainable investments in Vitamin, Water and Rural Development throughout the world.<br /><br />It was attended by high-degree multi stakeholder groups, civil society groups, farmer organizations, analysis groups, governments, the media and the academia, members will strategize on how the private sector could contribute to food safety and boost nutrition outcomes on a sub-continent going through greater than its justifiable share of world socio-economic and health challenges.<br /><br />The concept of shared worth focused on the connections between societal and economic progress and the potential to unleash the subsequent wave of progress within the Central and West African Region.<br /><br />It was also meant to develop a duty and suitable provide which benefited all stakeholders along the value chain from crop to cup.<br /><br />Delegates mentioned concrete actions and options which when explored could spur productiveness at farm stage and rework the agricultural sector.<br /><br />They also deliberated on the right way to harness the potential of food fortification to deal with micronutrient deficiencies, study the position of agronomy analysis in arresting food insecurity, and synergize ideas for constructing capability within the agricultural value chain.<br /><br />In Central and West Africa, Nestlé rise up investments in cocoa, coffee, grains and cereals to provide academic infrastructure, water and sanitary facilities to underserved communities, as well as handle malnutrition and obesity through initiatives such as the Nestlé Healthy Children programme and micronutrient fortification of its products.<br /><br />Dr Adesina famous that though Nigeria was the most important producer of cassava on the planet with 34 million metric tons yearly, it contributed zero per cent by way of worth added within the international trade.<br /><br />He defined that the manufacturing of cassava could be turned around and expanded its high manufacturing of high quality cassava flour for use in composite flours to substitute imported wheat flour getting used in the baking industry.<br /><br />“Now we have demonstrated that in Nigeria cassava flour is a very good substitute for wheat flour in bread making and UTC has led the way in commercializing the inclusion of 20 per cent prime quality of cassava flour in bread. Cassava bread can be 60 per cent cheaper, extra nutritious and more healthy than a hundred per cent wheat flour primarily based”, he added.<br /><br />To make sure that Nigeria has sufficient high quality of cassava flour and other confectionaries, the federal government is facilitating the importation and set up of 18 giant scale high quality cassava flour plants to be owned and operated by the personal sector.<br /><br />“Government is facilitating the importation of 700 compact mills for use for milling and lacking wheat and cassava flour to carry the production of importation of pre-combined cassava nearer to the communities”.<br /><br />Mr Martin Woolnough, Managing Director of Nestle Nigeria PLC stated to reply to compliment what the federal government of Nigeria has done, Nestlé Nigeria has finalized protocol for the establishment of extra on farm experimental trails on resource use efficiency for farmers.<br /><br />“Nestlé also supplies improved cassava cuttings to networked farmers that may adequately plant 500 hectares of land and has so far distributed 12,180 bundles of improved stems to 203 famers in clusters throughout the starch processors mission states”, he added.<span class="fullpost">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-47387284126271424022012-10-02T07:54:00.002+07:002012-10-02T07:56:08.367+07:00Co-op turns cassava farming into lucrative undertaking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DYYac8AT-Zm3NhrGZcnx2Cr98PZfWt9Ku8oZnOJi56aZJ-7M3LbzR4nusGbWidu95xSQ0PJ51L7WvYWRC8STWYscO64i-EPrPmPFV3_0Z5mXxZk2MKC4IdfUKWfNNzHYtmNnPEbAGapo/s1600/agri01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DYYac8AT-Zm3NhrGZcnx2Cr98PZfWt9Ku8oZnOJi56aZJ-7M3LbzR4nusGbWidu95xSQ0PJ51L7WvYWRC8STWYscO64i-EPrPmPFV3_0Z5mXxZk2MKC4IdfUKWfNNzHYtmNnPEbAGapo/s200/agri01.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
From cassava to cash, That is the noble purpose of a rising multi-purpose cooperative right here as it seeks to improve productivity of its members who're mostly cassava farmers.<br />
<br />
Cassava is likely one in all the main plants that thrive effectively in this town, however farmers don't earn a lot as it's highly perishable and postharvest losses were very high.<br />
<br />
Merchants also come into play, which often purchase farmers produce into less expensive value leaving farmers brief modification with their profit.<br />
<br />
“The San Jose Multi-objective Cooperative (SJMPC) used to be organized to handle the necessity for better pricing and on the identical time works for equivalent good thing about cassava farmers,” mentioned SJMPC supervisor Abraham Oso.<br />
<br />
“The cooperative offers quite a few advantages to cassava farmers. Except for providing them access to financing, they can have patronage refund and annually dividend,” Oso said.<br />
<br />
The rising demand for cassava in feed method offered wider opportunities to farmers as private processors provided three way partnership for the cooperative to supply them with merchandise for animal feeds.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Cassava have been considered as wealthy in carbohydrates and protein making a doable supply for animal feeds. Cassava roots are processed into chips and pellets kinds as major substances in formulating animal feeds.<br />
<br />
“Though the provide would be a giant boost to our cooperative in addition to to cassava farmers, loss of adequate post harvest facility constrained our capability to keep up with the quality and quantity necessities,” Oso said.<br />
<br />
“Feed processors solely purchase excellent quality chips with a moisture content material of no more than 14 percent. Contemporary cassava roots include kind of 65 p.c water and eradicating this is able to require loads of time and effort. This makes drying essential in meeting the quality required by the consumers,” he stressed.<br />
<br />
“Time is one other essential worry due to the fact cassava is a perishable crop and need to be processed within 48 hours after harvest to avoid spoilage. Manual chipping alone might take a selection of time and energy. So except for drying facility we additionally want chipping machine and other tools to reinforce our product but it includes huge capital investment,” he said.<br />
<br />
Into the massive ticket<br />
Co-op turns cassava farming into lucrative enterprise <br />
<br />
THEIR alternative got here while the Mindanao Rural Development Application (MRDP) improved the protection of its livelihood portfolio from to P250, 000 to a maximum of P5 million. The MRDP is a particular undertaking under the Department of Agriculture jointly funded by way of the Global Bank, the nationwide and native government units.<br />
<br />
Via MRDP’s Group Fund for Agricultural Improvement (CFAD) massive -ticket tasks, the SJMPC used to be able to access P3.5 million for his or her proposed Upgrading of Cassava Postharvest Facility project.<br />
<br />
The stated amount was used to purchase postharvest services resembling flatbed dryer, chipper, and granulator. Photo voltaic dryer and processing heart was additionally dependent together with needed logistical support akin to motorcycle cab for hauling of cassava roots in distant spaces and the truck scale, which helps handy and faster scaling of supply uncooked materials.<br />
<br />
“The assistance we now have availed ourselves of from MRDP has stepped forward the efficiency of our cooperative especially in enhancing the quality and reliability of our merchandise,” Oso said, adding “It has boosted our trust to fulfill the desired high quality and quantity of our cassava chips and pellets products paving the greatest way for our cooperative to forge a advertising and marketing settlement with San Miguel Corp. (SMC), one of the nation’s leading animal feeds processors.” <br />
<br />
The SMC processing plant in Gen. Santos City required the SJMPC to provide them at the least 1,500 heaps of cassava chips and pellets for one year. While earlier than they might infrequently meet the stated volume, the postharvest facility has enabled their cooperative to produce SMC in simply within six months.<br />
<br />
“SMC has again given us another purchase order of the amount for the second one half of this year,” Oso said.<br />
<br />
The advertising alternative provided via SMC didn't only boost the cooperative’s financial standing it has also progressed the earnings of cassava farmers because it confident them of a ready market for their produce.<span class="fullpost">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-61791792096495994602012-07-15T11:46:00.000+07:002012-07-15T11:46:00.137+07:00Cassava bread and diabetes<span class="fullpost">
</span><br />
Obtainable evidence doesn't help the faulty belief that cassava bread just isn't wholesome for consumption. Some folks have even linked cassava bread with diabetes. This clarification turns into essential against the backdrop of the purported rejection by the House of Representatives of a bill in search of to mandate bakers to make cassava flour part of the components for making bread. I was wondering why the Home would take such choice, realizing that Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, added with the truth that the produce, which has the potential to earn thousands of Nigerians significant earnings, is not totally exploited.<br /><br />Diabetes is a worldwide illness and, at current, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has substantial information on it. It's noteworthy that Nigeria will not be one of the international locations with high prevalence, and never even among the prime ten nations that can document excessive prevalence by 2030, according to a research report performed by Sarah Wild, Gojka Rojlic, et al (2004), which was administered on WHO member countries. India, China, USA, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines and Egypt are nations that, by 2030, can have between 7 million and 79 million people diagnosed as having diabetes. Coincidentally, these nations are the main wheat producers within the world.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />One other medical indicator which is now being used to dissuade people from embracing cassava bread is the Glycemic Index (GI). The GI measures how much each gram of obtainable carbohydrate raises a person’s glucose level following the consumption of the meals, and it's measured in 100. GI low vary falls within 55 and under, medium within 56 and sixty nine, while 70 and above represents the high GI range.<br /><br />According to the rumour making the rounds, which though has been dispelled by Akinwunmi Adesina, the minister of Agriculture and Rural improvement, cassava has a very excessive GI, which means cassava bread consumption exposes the buyer to the danger of diabetes. However, from obtainable details, the GI of cassava is moderate, which does not constitute danger to shoppers; and cassava flour has a GI of 59.34, which puts it in the medium GI range. Alternatively, white bread, most white rice, corn flakes, cereals, glucose, maltose and white potato are classified as having very high GI, in line with Wikipedia, whereas yam flour was discovered by a gaggle of researchers from the College of Ibadan to have a GI of 49.81.<br /><br />Furthermore, it's instructive that cassava bread is a staple meals in Central and South America, where it's popularly often called Pão de Queijo in Brazil, Pan de Yuca in Ecuador, Pan de Bono in Colombia, and Ereba in Belize.<br /><br />As a country with excessive number of poor individuals, cassava affords the nation a manner out of poverty whether it is optimally utilised. At current, not a lot worth is being added to cassava, which explains why Nigeria does not earn a lot overseas trade from it. Many people heaved a sigh of relief when the Agric minister rolled out his transformation programme to include the manufacturing of cassava flour and subsequent inclusion of identical in bread making.<br /><br />There isn't any doubt that those who have controlled the flour market in Nigeria may not like the concept a new set of businessmen will problem their authority by introducing a product that may reduce their market share. And with the way the invoice was purportedly rejected, it's clear that some very highly effective people are not looking for the cassava bread mission to see the light of the day. Therefore, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture must be forward of these forces if actually the mission is important to it. That is why Nigerians have to be consistently orientated so as to not kill this brilliant idea.<br /><br />Nigerians are those that consume cassava, including cassava flour. Due to this fact, they need to be the focus of the orientation programme of the federal government. On this regard, I will suggest a three-part orientation programme. The FG should deal with the availability and demand sides in the form of city hall meetings, starting with those in Lagos, Benue, Kano and Port Harcourt. It should, as a matter of urgency, design a pattern manufacturing plan that can virtually show big disparity between the associated fee per unit of producing cassava and that of producing wheat bread of the same quantity. The availability facet entails the farmers that produce cassava flour, who ought to be educated on the need to embrace the highest hygienic practices; whereas the demand aspect relates to the bakers, their distributors and consumers. By so doing, the bakers will relaxation assured that the cassava mission aims to boost their profitability.<br /><br />This becomes even more mandatory now that an increase in gasoline price and the new electrical energy tariff regime will influence negatively on the ability of the bakers to make profit. Since not all the costs incurred by companies might be transferred to the final customers, especially as many Nigerians are very poor, there's the need to minimize the cost of input, and cassava flour gives a better means of doing this.<br /><br />The following factor is to mount rigorous campaigns on the radio and tv, while the final stage is to conduct a discipline analysis with a view to gathering new set of data that may assist authorities maintain the project. Ultimately, passing the cassava bill will only be a thing of formality.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-79295670020805123592012-07-14T11:34:00.000+07:002012-07-14T11:34:00.016+07:00Cassava: The Rambo of Meals Crops<span class="fullpost">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPnnh1k4yfjZwmPwZ13ixKn4nkKy73yJ-gcNQLKR89MfAYoemPuYKhgb7ADQFYhYurri7i-xH79ut8N-GBjbDNPtXkUSMHoauWC4Z3o-HYkaRM-i8Vg7qPFQ-QZspvcGU7bU0UMksMdg/s1600/rambo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPnnh1k4yfjZwmPwZ13ixKn4nkKy73yJ-gcNQLKR89MfAYoemPuYKhgb7ADQFYhYurri7i-xH79ut8N-GBjbDNPtXkUSMHoauWC4Z3o-HYkaRM-i8Vg7qPFQ-QZspvcGU7bU0UMksMdg/s200/rambo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Fact sheet</b><br />
Common Names: Yuca, Tapioca, Manioc<br />
Species : Manihot esculenta Crantz<br />
Syn : M. ultissima Phol<br />
Syn : M. aipi Phol<br />
Family : Euphorbiaceae <br />
<br />
Cassava is not really a “forgotten crop” in many parts of Africa, but
because of the threat of climate change having a major impact on
traditional crops - especially in the SADC region - we will discuss it
here.<br />
<br />
In our region, many farmers still prefer to plant maize, millet and
sorghum – all of which stand to suffer if the region becomes more
drought-prone and more arid in the years to come.<br />
<br />
The reason is simple: Cassava offers climate change hope for Africa.<br />
<br />
<b>Uses</b><br />
<br />
Cassava is grown for its enlarged starch-filled roots, which contain
nearly the maximum theoretical concentration of starch on a dry weight
basis among food crops.<br />
<br />
Fresh roots contain about 30 percent starch and very little protein.
Roots are prepared much like potato. They can be peeled and boiled,
baked, or fried.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
It is not recommended to eat cassava uncooked because of potentially
toxic concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides that are reduced to
innocuous levels through cooking.<br />
<br />
In traditional settings of the Americas, roots are grated and the sap
is extracted through squeezing or pressing. The cassava is then further
dried over a fire to make a meal or fermented and cooked. The meal can
then be rehydrated with water or added to soups or stews.<br />
<br />
In Africa, roots are processed in several different ways.<br />
<br />
They may be first fermented in water. Then they are either sun-dried
for storage or grated and made into a dough that is cooked. Alcoholic
beverages can be made from the roots.<br />
<br />
Young tender leaves can be used as a potherb, containing high levels of protein.<br />
<br />
Prepared in a similar manner as spinach, care should be taken to eliminate toxic compounds during the cooking process.<br />
<br />
One clone with variegated leaves is planted as an ornamental.<br />
<br />
<b>Origin and Status</b><br />
<br />
Cassava originated in Brazil and Paraguay. Today it has been given the
status of a cultigen with no wild forms of this species being known.<br />
<br />
The perennial woody shrub, grown as an annual, was carried to Africa by Portuguese traders from the Americas.<br />
<br />
It is a staple food in parts for western and central Africa and is found throughout the humid tropics.<br />
<br />
The world market for cassava starch and meal is limited, due to the abundance of substitutes.<br />
<br />
Cassava is a major source of low-cost carbohydrates for populations in
the humid tropics. The largest producers of cassava are Brazil,
Thailand, Nigeria, the DRC and Indonesia.<br />
<br />
Production in Africa and Asia continues to increase, while that in
Latin America has remained relatively level over the past 30 years.
<br />
<br />
<b>Toxicity</b><br />
<br />
Cassava is famous for the presence of free and bound cyanogenic glucosides, linamarin and lotaustralin.<br />
<br />
They are converted to HCN in the presence of linamarase, a naturally
occurring enzyme in cassava. Linamarase acts on the glucosides when the
cells are ruptured.<br />
<br />
All plant parts contain cyanogenic glucosides with the leaves having the highest concentrations.<br />
<br />
In the roots, the peel has a higher concentration than the interior.<br />
<br />
In the past, cassava was categorised as either sweet or bitter,
signifying the absence or presence of toxic levels of cyanogenic
glucosides.<br />
<br />
Sweet cultivars can produce as little as 20mg of HCN per kg of fresh
roots, while bitter ones may produce more than 50 times as much.<br />
<br />
The bitterness is identified through taste and smell. This is not a
totally valid system, since sweetness is not absolutely correlated with
HCN producing ability.<br />
<br />
In cases of human malnutrition, where the diet lacks protein and
iodine, under-processed roots of high HCN cultivars may result in
serious health problems.
<br />
<br />
<b>Rambo Cassava</b><br />
<br />
“We have very few good stories where we see crops doing equal or better
under climate change and finally we’ve found one with cassava.”<br />
<br />
So says Andy Jarvis of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture.<br />
<br />
The cassava plant could help African farmers cope with climate change, a recent scientific report says.<br />
<br />
Cassava performed best compared to potato, maize, bean, banana, millet, and sorghum.<br />
<br />
“It’s like the Rambo of the food crops,” report author Andy Jarvis, of
the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, notes.<br />
<br />
He told the BBC: “Whilst other staples can suffer from heat and other problems of climate change, cassava thrives.”<br />
<br />
But the report also stresses the need for more research to make cassava more resistant to pests and disease.<br />
<br />
It grows in poor soils and with little water, according to the
researchers of the report, “Is Cassava the Answer to African Climate
Change Adaptation?”<br />
<br />
Cassava outperformed six other staple crops - potato, maize, bean,
banana, millet, and sorghum - in 24 climate prediction models, the
report says.<br />
<br />
The plant grows well in high temperatures and if drought hits it “shuts down” until the rains come again, the scientists say.<br />
<br />
“We have very few good stories where we see crops doing equal or better
under climate change and finally we’ve found one with cassava,” Jarvis
told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.<br />
<br />
For him, this is good news for Nigeria - Africa’s biggest grower - with
“36-37 mega (million) tonnes of production every year”, and the DRC,
the next largest producer.<br />
<br />
Cassava could be now a “fallback when other crops are failing”, Jarvis says.<br />
<br />
“In East Africa, maize is preferred by a lot of farmers, cassava can be a back-up plan - a plan B.”<br />
<br />
The root, rich in starch, is grown less in southern Africa, where there are cold temperatures during the winter months.<br />
<br />
But this could change, according to Jarvis.<br />
<br />
In a statement he said: “Hopefully, these findings will be a clarion
call to the scientific community for renewed focus on cassava.”<br />
<br />
Thus, the seeds of prosperity for some rural Africans may lie in a crop
that has sustained them with calories for centuries but has generated
virtually no wealth for their poor countries.<br />
<br />
Cassava - with its starchy root used to make tapioca - thrives in
Africa’s tropical climates, through drought or deluge, but maize and
other crops have had distinct advantages over the hardy tuber. Until
now.<br />
<br />
Cassava can remain in the soil for a couple of years but its main
drawback has been that it has to be processed within 48 hours of
harvesting or it spoils.
<br />
<br />
<b>Bring in the Brewers</b><br />
<br />
An unlisted Dutch-based company called DADTCO has developed a
processing method for cassava and dispatches a mobile unit with the
equipment to rural villages, so farmers don’t have to harvest their crop
until it arrives.<br />
<br />
The implications could be revolutionary on a continent where much economic activity still centres on small-scale farming.<br />
<br />
The potential has already been spotted by global brewer SABMiller which
has started making beer from cassava in northern Mozambique.<br />
<br />
“This creates we believe a fly-wheel for commercial cassava production
in Mozambique,” Mark Bowman, the brewer’s MD for Africa, told a recent
Africa Investment Summit.<br />
<br />
“In the short-term 1 400 or 1 500 farmers benefit directly. We expect
we can grow that up to 6 000 farmers as the product grows,” he said.<br />
<br />
DADTCO chief executive, Peter Bolt, told Reuters that similar projects
are being rolled out in Zambia, Ghana and South Sudan with more to
follow.<br />
<br />
“Our target is to roll out in 26 or 27 Sub-Saharan African countries in the next couple of years,” he said.<br />
<br />
And it’s not only brewers that are focusing on cassava.<br />
<br />
Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant, is targeting the root
to make sorbitol, a key ingredient in toothpaste and other products.<br />
<br />
Unilever and some of its business partners are currently in talks about
investing in a starch complex to process cassava into starch or
sorbitol in Nigeria, which is the world’s biggest producer of the root
and a big market for Unilever’s three billion euro a year Africa
business.<br />
<br />
“We are already in exploratory talks to source (110 231 tonnes) of
cassava per year for processing in Africa into sorbitol for use in our
oral care products like toothpaste,” said Frank Braeken, Unilever’s
executive vice president for Africa.<br />
<br />
It remains to be seen how far the “cassava revolution” can go but it
surely raises new hope on the economic and food security fronts for the
world’s poorest continent.<br />
<br />
When it comes to pure sustenance and survival, cassava is hard to beat
because of its durability, even if maize and other staples generally
have higher starch contents.<br />
<br />
According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 37
percent of Africa’s dietary energy comes from cassava and per capita
consumption on the continent is close to 80kg per year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPnnh1k4yfjZwmPwZ13ixKn4nkKy73yJ-gcNQLKR89MfAYoemPuYKhgb7ADQFYhYurri7i-xH79ut8N-GBjbDNPtXkUSMHoauWC4Z3o-HYkaRM-i8Vg7qPFQ-QZspvcGU7bU0UMksMdg/s1600/rambo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaPnnh1k4yfjZwmPwZ13ixKn4nkKy73yJ-gcNQLKR89MfAYoemPuYKhgb7ADQFYhYurri7i-xH79ut8N-GBjbDNPtXkUSMHoauWC4Z3o-HYkaRM-i8Vg7qPFQ-QZspvcGU7bU0UMksMdg/s320/rambo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But instead of being grown primarily for household consumption, expect
more cassava to be stored in the ground for eventual sale.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-27092892985108941602012-07-13T11:13:00.000+07:002012-07-13T11:13:00.425+07:00New cassava pest seems for first time in Viet Nam<span class="fullpost">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The cassava pink mealybug, an invasive pest species that can kill cassava vegetation by consuming the sap, has appeared for the primary time in Viet Nam within the south-japanese province of Tay Ninh, one of the nation's leading producers of the tuberous root.<br />
<br />
The insect, which has appeared in lots of nations including in Southeast Asia, can spread quickly to other locations via the transport of contaminated cassava stem cuttings for planting, and can also be carried by wind, water, animals, human beings, instruments, and vehicles.<br />
<br />
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Tuesday instructed Tay Ninh and the Plant Protection Department to hold out prevention and control measures towards the pest.<br />
<br />
The measures embody a survey of affected areas by local authorities, studies to the provincial administration and the division, and destruction of all contaminated crops beneath the latter's supervision.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
No a part of cassava crops - stems, leaves, roots - from infected areas might be transported from the province to other places.<br />
<br />
Tay Ninh authorities will provide monetary help to farmers whose crops have to be destroyed.<br />
<br />
The division will present coaching to native plant protection officers and farmers in ways on stop the pest, including guidance on the kinds of pesticides for use to destroy it.<br />
<br />
It has additionally been tasked with bolstering plant quarantine inspections to forestall the entry of the pest into the country via borders and its unfold from contaminated areas.<br />
<br />
It can carry out regular inspections and guarantee native authorities perform measures to thrust back attacks by the pest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-92209183805468375292012-07-12T10:25:00.000+07:002012-07-12T10:25:00.249+07:00Cassava key to meals security, say scientists<span class="fullpost">
</span><br />
An alliance of scientists has been formed to assist promote cassava, which has emerged as a “survivor” crop in a position to thrive within the expected larger temperatures engendered by climate change, a scientific convention in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, heard.<br /><br />Some 300 scientists attending the second Worldwide Scientific Conference of the Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP-21-II) announced the alliance, named the International Cassava Modelling Consortium, which will provide a platform to world cassava researchers to share analysis information, better perceive the physiology of the plant, and discover avenues for shielding it from assaults now that it has even larger significance for the food safety of many regions within the world.<br /><br />The new consortium will initially set up a loose network of scientists sharing and analysing current cassava research and historical analysis data. As it grows, the network will embrace the sharing of experiences with cassava farmers across the Tropics, with farms being handled as experimental stations in their very own right.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Andy Jarvis, a local weather change scientist at the Worldwide Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and CGIAR’s Climate Change, Agriculture and Meals Security (CCAFS) Analysis Programme, advised the convention that a research revealed in February within the journal Tropical Plant Biology revealed that temperatures in East and West Africa - two main cassava growing regions - are expected to rise by around 1.eight levels Celsius by 2030, but that the cassava plant will thrive.<br /><br />“Whereas this [rising temperature] poses problems for the suitability of food staples like bean, banana and sorghum, cassava suitability is more likely to be the exception to the rule… Analysis reveals that it'll brush off the upper temperatures,” he said. “Its potential is tremendously exciting. However now we've got to behave promptly on the analysis, as more pests and ailments are manifesting themselves due to climate change.”<br /><br />Cassava is the second most important supply of carbohydrates in sub-Saharan African, after maize, and is eaten by round 500 million individuals every single day, in keeping with the UN Meals and Agriculture Organization. Globally, 280 million tons are produced yearly, with half the supply coming from Africa; Uganda produces 5.4 million tons of cassava each year. It is usually grown by thousands and thousands of smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia and Latin America.<br /><br /><b>Achilles heel</b><br /><br />Despite its sturdy survival in the face of local weather change, it has an Achilles heel; it is susceptible to illnesses related to international warming like mealy bug, cassava brown-streak illness and cassava mosaic disease.<br /><br />The cassava study described cassava as “the Rambo root” for its resilience, with authors reporting that the tuber becomes much more productive in hotter temperatures and outperformed potatoes, maize, beans, bananas, millet and sorghum - a few of Africa’s fundamental meals crops - in assessments using a combination of 24 local weather prediction and crop suitability models.<br /><br />The study discovered that in East Africa cassava could see a ten percent enhance in production if temperatures rise as predicted. In West Africa cassava will maintain its personal, doing better than potatoes, beans and bananas. Cassava, along with banana and maize, will see a 5 percent enhance in suitability in Southern Africa, with solely Central Africa registering a I % lower in cassava suitability - considerably better than the substantial declines anticipated in potato and bean, in line with Jarvis.<br /><br /><b>Vitamin-rich varieties</b><br /><br />Scientists at the Kampala assembly are also specializing in features of cassava breeding - typical, genetic engineering, the biology of the cassava crop, pests and disease, and diet enhancement by transferring away from the usual white cassava which is Vitamin A-poor, an issue in many creating countries. In Uganda for example, Vitamin A and iron deficiencies are main health issues with 32 % of children below 60 months, and 31 % of child-bearing mothers, poor in the vitamin.<br /><br />“We're planning to introduce nutritious yellow cassava varieties that are wealthy in Vitamin A and protein,” Robert Kawuki, a cassava breeder at a government agro-laboratory facility instructed IRIN.<br /><br />Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture Zerubabel Mijumbi Nyiira advised IRIN at the conference venue that the findings would prove useful to farmers in sub-Sahara Africa. “The crop can work as social and economic transformer,” he said.<br /><br />“Cassava used to be a poor particular person’s crop, but now it has the potential of changing into the principle meals of millions of people while its business potential is unimaginable. It is not only for food but it can be used for industrial starch and utilized in greater than 300 industrial products.<br /><br />“The world is moving away from utilizing fossil gas, and due to this fact fermented cassava starch can produce ethanol utilized in bio-fuel. But extra importantly, its survival in circumstances of this nature makes it one of the most important crops that can make Africa food secure.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-24901213850608531842012-07-11T09:53:00.001+07:002012-07-11T09:53:20.035+07:00Govt targets $136m income from cassava export to ChinaNIGERIA’s economic diversification power might inch towards realisation soon, with plan through Federal Authorities to export a million tonnes of cassava chips to China, starting from this month.<br />
<br />
The export enterprise is expected to bouy the country’s earnings by means of $136 million (N22 billion).<br />
<br />
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Growth, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina made this disclosure in Umuahia, Abia State, on Wednesday, throughout the inauguration of the Growth Enhancement Help (GES) scheme, a crucial element of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda.<br />
<br />
The scheme was once scripted as an innovative method to fertiliser subsidy management by method of an electronic device, which guarantees that solely registered farmers’ benefit.<a class="cssButton" href="javascript:void(0)" id="publishButton" onclick="if (this.className.indexOf("ubtn-disabled") == -1) {var e = document['stuffform'].publish;(e.length) ? e[0].click() : e.click(); if (window.event) window.event.cancelBubble = true; return false;}" target=""></a><br />
<div class="cssButtonOuter">
<div class="cssButtonMiddle">
<div class="cssButtonInner">
<a class="cssButton" href="javascript:void(0)" id="publishButton" onclick="if (this.className.indexOf("ubtn-disabled") == -1) {var e = document['stuffform'].publish;(e.length) ? e[0].click() : e.click(); if (window.event) window.event.cancelBubble = true; return false;}" target=""> </a></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
“Nigeria will earn $136 million simply this yr on account of this exportation and this is taking place for the primary time in our history”, Adeshina said.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
The minister reiterated the Federal Authorities’s determination to embark on measures that will boost the capacity of farmers within the country.<br />
<br />
He delivered: “We must use cassava to create a complete lot of issues and that is why we should double our efforts on cassava cultivation on this country.”<br />
<br />
He also disclosed that the government had accepted price range for the empowerment of farmers in Abia.<br />
<br />
“The Federal Authorities will be offering the sum of N35 million to offer stepped forward cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers in Abia”, including that eight kinds of hybrid cocoa had been released for onward delivery to farmers and that 25,000 pods would be distributed to farmers within the state freed from charge.<br />
<br />
“The common yield we're getting right now from cocoa is 0.4 tonnes according to hectare; the yield of the new cocoa hybrid will present you with two tonnes in step with hectare and meaning you're going to get 5 times the yield you are currently getting.”<br />
<br />
“Each cocoa farmer may even get the authorised fungicides and cartons of insecticides.”<br />
<br />
He applauded the contributions of Abia as the biggest cocoa manufacturer in the South East geo-political zone.<br />
<br />
The minister commended Leader David Onyenweaku from Abia, stated because the nation’s greatest particular person cocoa, pronouncing ``it's due to individuals like this that the Federal Authorities is encouraging farmers”, he said.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, contributors at a workshop at the processing of cassava grit for chicken farmers in Nigeria have given insurance that processors have the capacity to fulfill local and worldwide calls for for the product.<br />
<br />
A cross-part of the participants said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria that the price of the product in line with tonne could additionally drop appreciably from N50, 000 to about N26, 000.<br />
<br />
Mr. Philip Ajomiwe, who used to be the facilitator of the one-day workshop, held at his processing plant in Oriendu near Umuahia, mentioned that cassava farmers and processors would produce sufficient to meet the necessity of chicken farmers.<br />
<br />
Ajomiwe, who's a cassava grower and processor, said that farmers and processors could accentuate efforts to satisfy the Chinese language demand for two,000 metric tonnes of dry chips.<br />
<br />
He thanked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Improvement, for starting up a lot of insurance policies that would revolutionise the country’s agriculture.<br />
<br />
He defined that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture just lately organised a training workshop at Enugu for farmers and processors within the South-East, where they had been tutored on fashionable techniques of cassava processing.<br />
<br />
‘’This is just one a part of many projects by way of the minister to pressure President Goodluck Jonathan’s agricultural transformation agenda by manner of the worth chain method,’’ Ajomiwe said.<br />
<br />
He defined that the workshop, which was organised on the occasion of the agriculture ministry, had 10 participants (trainer trainees), who were expected to train different processors and potential ones of their respective areas.<br />
<br />
He stated that the contributors were taken round totally different processes, beginning from weighing two hundred kg of cassava tubers to the grating and mechanical drying to provide one hundred kg completed grit. ’’<span class="fullpost"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-44789644700856456032012-05-01T15:26:00.000+07:002012-07-11T10:27:05.571+07:00Bakers call for waivers on enzymes critical for cassava bread production<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZySt0cDXjXzoHbMPLc0h84M3yulSz1SZfgeIcDWA_6MWLAlPFJ8zDVzKOlSSNHklmzo6N7-V3-GEsPCKEeAlHlp8e6Q3vnm89is3DbAOQ84gbvb5cai00HK1DVKQTejjhWj7D9M1DAfk/s1600/cassava-bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZySt0cDXjXzoHbMPLc0h84M3yulSz1SZfgeIcDWA_6MWLAlPFJ8zDVzKOlSSNHklmzo6N7-V3-GEsPCKEeAlHlp8e6Q3vnm89is3DbAOQ84gbvb5cai00HK1DVKQTejjhWj7D9M1DAfk/s1600/cassava-bread.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nigerian corporate bakers, who have
commenced production of cassava bread, have called on the federal
government to give them import duty waiver on enzymes (magic solutions)
in high quality cassava flour recipes, which they claim are imported at
high costs, brought about by high freighting costs, BusinessDay can
reveal. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Without these enzymes, cassava bread
manufacturing will fail since high quality cassava flour does not
contain gluten, a vital component for bread baking. These enzymes are
not available in Nigeria.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The CEOs of UTC Nigeria Plc, Folusho
Olaniyan and Food Concepts, Deji Akinyanju, bakers of UTC Bread and
Butterfield Bread, revealed this fact at the launch of the
commerciacialised high quality cassava-based bread held at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja on Saturday.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to Olaniyan: “Our magic
solutions (enzymes) in the high quality cassava flour recipes, have come
to us at relatively high costs due to high freighting costs. They are a
necessity for success because of the absence of gluten in high quality
cassava flour. We solicit for the Federal Government’s support in
getting waivers on the import duty for bakery equipment and enzymes
pending the time enzymes can be locally manufactured. We also appeal to
the Federal Government to support us with a marketing campaign which we,
the stakeholders, will actively participate in formulating in order to
achieve maximum results.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Akinyanju said, “We require a waiver on
duty for both the equipment and enzymes that we need to import from
abroad. With minimal grants to fund additional equipment we will be able
to automate our processes which will increase our efficiencies and
capacity to deliver to feeding programmes nation wide.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Foluso Olaniyan gave a progress report
of her company’s drive to make cassava bread: “At UTC, we envisaged this
move would be successful, and as such painted a clear picture of our
goal in our minds. We were passionate about our goal, despite the fact
that we were unsure of how or when these goals would be achieved…We
encountered several setbacks, but were able to find a path around and
over these obstacles. We took risks and it paid off.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“After 92 trials and almost three months
from the date of our initial trial, we were able to crack the nut, and
in February 2012 we achieved a sustainable commercial recipe for White
Bread and Wheat Grain Bread with 20 per cent high quality cassava flour
inclusion. We also standardized and commercialized our Cakes and Chopsy
Beef Roll recipe with 30 per cent high quality cassava flour inclusion.
With our monthly consumption of high quality cassava flour currently
standing at 65 tonnes, we can be regarded as the single highest consumer
of high quality cassava flour in the baking industry.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
UTC intends to stay ahead of the
competition, and as such has moved on quickly to introduce the
vegetarian range of snacks made from high quality cassava flour.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Olaniyan added: “From the Federal
Government, we solicit support, in form of a grant to alleviate the
effects of the costs we have incurred as a result of the trials which
have now culminated in the commercialized high quality cassava bread we
are launching today. As a profit-oriented organization, we have
identified the need for speed because time is hostile to the
businessman. Our experience echoes the fact that even new products have
an increasingly limited window before being replaced or copied; hence
our resolution to ensure we roll out at least two new products per year.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-74032583430721357172012-01-03T09:40:00.003+07:002012-01-03T09:53:54.642+07:00Nigeria's cassava conundrumKeen to advertise self-sufficiency, Nigeria's government needs to clamp down on rice and wheat imports and promote the usage of cassava. The plan appears sound, however farmers stay sceptical.<br /><br />Every day, on the outskirts of Abuja, Nourou Salisu produces practically 10,000 loaves of bread in his conventional clay ovens. Nigeria's buzzing capital offers a prepared-made market for his output, however that may very well be about to change following the federal government's announcement of insurance policies designed to wean one fifth of Africa's inhabitants off its dependency to wheat.<br /><br />Africa's most populous nation, once seen as the regional breakbasket, wants to curb persistent dependence on overseas meals by clamping down on rice and wheat imports and introducing a raft of monetary incentives ahead of subsequent yr's budget. The intention is to kick the sluggish agriculture sector into life.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Salisu, nonetheless, is sceptically in regards to the plans, even when they are aimed toward lifting millions like himself out of starvation and poverty. "No one will chop [eat] cassava bread. The cassava starch won't permit the bread be tender," he said, when instructed of insurance policies that can compel bakeries to start substituting wheat flour for cassava flour.<br /><br />"We do not have the science [technology] to grind the cassava, to make the bread soft. Our customers won't purchase it and it will spoil," he added, gesturing in the direction of the handfuls of luggage of flour stored within the sweltering bakery.<br /><br />Final month, President Goodluck Jonathan - eager to persuade his people to patronise locally-grown merchandise -publicly shared a loaf of unsweetened cassava bread together with his vice-president and ministers. Nonetheless, his try and open an inside marketplace for the world's largest cassava grower isn't new; virtually a decade ago, former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo tried and didn't pressure bakers to use no less than 10% of the tuber in breadmaking.<br /><br />Billed as a central a part of the brand new administration's "transformation" agenda - a sign of how badly Nigeria's agriculture sector wants fixing - proposals in a preliminary finances to slash a $68bn import bill embrace a 100% levy on rice and wheat imports subsequent year. Wheat prices the federal government a staggering $3.9bn annually, while Nigeria is the world's largest rice importer - at a cost of $6.25m a day - though its local weather is ideal for rice growing.<br /><br />Cassava is being touted as a possible source of food self-sufficiency for Nigeria. By banning its import from next yr, and providing tax rebates for millers who use a minimum of 40% of cassava flour in breadmaking, the federal government hopes to encourage manufacturing and spur businesses to purchase it.<br /><br />With the continent still reeling from meals riots over the previous two years, agriculture and water resources minster Akin Adesina believes these policies might spark the sort of "green revolution" which has largely bypassed Africa.<br /><br />"We have now a situation the place we are coping with large numbers of unemployed people and high ranges of poverty, and these are the priorities of the federal government," he said. "We must create jobs regionally through import substitution."<br /><br />In accordance with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, Africa has greater than doubled cereal imports over the past three decades, a trend some countries have begun making an attempt to reverse by proactive policies. In Uganda, for example, rice output more than doubled in the area of 4 years after a seventy five% tax was imposed on imports. The responsibility additionally spurred the development of latest mills, lowering the value of domestically refined rice. Malawi, meanwhile, one in every of Africa's poorest countries, reversed its meals deficit in simply two years via a targeted subsidy programme that helped finance fertiliser for farmers.<br /><br />Brushing off criticisms of protectionism amid a global downturn, Adesina argued Nigeria could follow go well with: "Each nation on the earth protects its markets and farmers. Nigeria's farming population is made up of more than 70% of smallholder farmers. Our policies are directed at creating new market alternatives for them."<br /><br />Plans are underway to duplicate a 2009 authorities-funded scheme that resulted in maize yields rising from 1.5 tons to 4.2 tons per hectare in taking part farms. But experts say a scarcity of funding will make it troublesome to produce 2.5 million metric tons of rice - enough to feed the nation and go away an extra of 500,000 tons - by 2015.<br /><br />Nigeria was once a net food exporter, but poor infrastructure, lack of finance and misguided policies meant agriculture was progressively shunted aside as the main target shifted to oil. However the nation's vast oilfields have enriched solely a tiny minority, leaving many of the country's a hundred and fifty million farmers poor and hungry.<br /><br />Past form has left many doubtful that the federal government has the potential or political will to implement effective change. "The problem we have now is that a few of the financial institutions and a lot of the infrastructure is weak," mentioned Kamar Hamza, a Nigeria-based financial consultant. "On paper, the insurance policies are very good. But in relation to implementation, we've a parasitic civil service whose primary curiosity is earning money from government policies. They will easily hijack the plan."<br /><br />Another issue is the federal government's monetary commitment to agriculture. It has only allotted 2% of the price range (around $500m) to agriculture, making it considered one of eight nations that have didn't assign a minimum of 10% of annual price range to agriculture, as agreed below the phrases of the Complete Africa Agricultural Development Programme adopted on the African Union summit in Maputo in 2003.<br /><br />A string of failed agricultural insurance policies has bred skepticism among farmers. Many complain that micro credit funds allotted to them routinely disappear into the nation's labyrinthine political system. "And anyway, there are no roads. There is a fuel shortage. Are we to hold all the pieces we develop on our backs to market?" muses Sunday Alachi, a subsistence cassava farmer.<br /><br />His fears maybe echo these holding again potential private-sector buyers, who're needed if government insurance policies are to bear fruit.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-25046462569815656292011-10-30T11:25:00.001+07:002011-10-30T11:25:00.192+07:00IPB College Studentt Production "Mo Mie" from Cassava<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexR7QAgf5teS5SP6CtWZZaQmT1GdmOJlPa8wdFHptj50i1EDuxbbQVZNqCfNkjr5dZtz2cc4tUhtdZ2gFMrDJ7eIWCTwLbL_2g0Ip2t3yV-LILIAIzkhgKTSdKoGejcxlf22wW4zO42ic/s1600/miecassava.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexR7QAgf5teS5SP6CtWZZaQmT1GdmOJlPa8wdFHptj50i1EDuxbbQVZNqCfNkjr5dZtz2cc4tUhtdZ2gFMrDJ7eIWCTwLbL_2g0Ip2t3yV-LILIAIzkhgKTSdKoGejcxlf22wW4zO42ic/s200/miecassava.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667656827477295042" border="0" /></a>JAKARTA - Students Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) re-discover innovations of modern food products ready-named "Mo Mie".<br /><br />These foods are also meant to ensure diversification. What is Mo Mie ? Mo Mie is the "instant noodles" are made from raw cassava starch modified or Modified Cassava Flour (MOCAF) and Tempe flour. Tempe or Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process.<br /><br />Selection of cassava as raw material Mo Mie is quite reasonable. Given the cassava crop is one of considerable potential in Indonesia as a source of carbohydrate, whose production is not optimal because it is still considered less economical.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the addition of “Tempe flour” as a food source of protein, because protein content in the noodles is considered quite low.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Therefore, Mo Noodles has several advantages compared with other instant noodles, which is due to high protein content and safe to eat.<br /><br />There are three types of products "Mo Mie" offered by the "dry Mo Mie”, Mo Mie Spaghetti, and Mo Mie Sozzilatos.<br /><br />As is known, instant noodles commonly consumed by people are usually made from raw wheat flour. The use of wheat flour in Indonesia is quite high in the manufacture of instant noodles. It was proven that Indonesia as a country both the consumption of instant noodles per year based on the world's largest wheat. Whereas in Indonesia wheat flour is obtained by importing from abroad.<br /><br />"It is therefore necessary to develop a cassava-based new food products to enhance the economic value of cassava as an alternative substitute for flour and food diversification efforts," said Nur Hasanah Laeli, students of the Department of Community Nutrition Faculty of Human Ecology (FEMA) IPB, which conducted the study “Mo Mie, in Jakarta.<br /><br />Laeli along with four colleagues said, that a food product should pay attention to food safety aspects.<br /><br />One is the use of food preservatives should be in accordance with the recommended standard of government. Therefore, instant noodles their research results free of preservatives are dangerous because in the manufacturing process does not use harmful chemicals.<br /><br />"Looking from the aspect of nutrient content and secure, instant noodles really support the food needs of the world community," said Megawati Simanjuntak, Supervisor of this research.<br /><br />Laeli further explained, MOCAF is a product derived from cassava to cassava by fermentation modification principles. MOCAF contribute little protein so the protein source material needed to boost the protein content in the noodles.<br /><br />One good source of protein and enough potential in Indonesia is Tempe, because Tempe is able to compete with animal protein in terms of quality, quantity and price. Additionally, Tempe is rich in amino acid lysine. Therefore, the addition of Tempe flour as a protein source is expected to improve the nutritional value MOCAF-flour noodle mixture.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-66063687471647953692011-10-29T09:52:00.001+07:002011-10-29T09:52:00.161+07:00Mortgaging of cassava to begin quicklyThe government next month will start a loan programme for 15 million tonnes of cassava at costs among 2.70 and 3.00 baht a kilogramme.<br /><br />Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol mentioned the programme may begin on Nov 15 and run for 6 months with tiered prices ranging from 2.70 baht a kg in November. The worth will increase via 5 satang each month for cassava roots with 25% starch content.<br /><br />The current value of contemporary cassava roots is between 2.20 and 2.30 baht a kilogramme.<br /><br />The ministry in advance anticipated a funds of 10 billion baht for the production of as much as 6 million tonnes. Nevertheless, the subcommittee on advertising and marketing of tapioca agreed it needs to be extended to cover 15 million tonnes of the harvest so the funds must be enlarged.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />"The specified price range may be large but precise spending could be decrease than that quantity as recent cassava roots are in demand in the market, and farmers can promote directly to traders. They do not must pledge with the federal government," stated Mr Poom.<br /><br />The problem might be thought of by the Nationwide Tapioca Committee next week and later via the cabinet.<br /><br />Thailand is expected to produce no less than 20 million tonnes of cassava roots this 12 months, a slight drop from 21 million final year. Production is decrease than demand, which is forecast at 26 million tonnes, of which 15 million are to be used for starch manufacturing, 10 million for tapioca chips and 1 million for ethanol.<br /><br />Tapioca is a key crop for the nation, growing jobs and revenue for more than 500,000 households, with plantation spaces of almost 7 million rai.<br /><br />The ministry is also making an attempt to shore up rice costs by a mortgage scheme, and it pronounced 115,096 tonnes of unmilled white rice have been pledged with the government after the legit release on Oct 7. Aromatic rice shall be harvested on the finish of November.<br /><br />Permanent secretary Yanyong Phuangrach mentioned that of the 671 millers joining the programme, solely 231 were currently accepting paddy from farmers. They are unfold amongst 34 provinces with a high concentration within the crucial region.<br /><br />Farmers have complained about costs being negotiated down as a consequence of high moisture content.<br /><br />The ministry will mill all paddy pledged inside 10 days and require the delivery of all milled rice and damaged rice to the Public Warehouse Agency and Advertising Organisation for Farmers. Millers will get 500 baht a tonne for the milling cost.<br /><br />He stated millers with inventory volumes too low for supply may seek permission to lengthen milling by one week.<br /><br />Paddy value is steady because the floods are more seemingly to harm paddy manufacturing greater than last week's estimation.<br /><br />"I wish to ask the marketplace to accept that the loan price [15,000 baht for white rice] is suitable as Thai farmers have misplaced a significant amount from the floods. They planted two times however can only harvest one crop," mentioned Mr Yanyong.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-84675481015767545082011-10-28T10:45:00.001+07:002011-10-28T10:45:00.487+07:00FG kicks off cassava transformation action planABUJA- The federal Government, Tuesday, kicked off its Cassava Transformation Motion Plan, CTAP, to increase income by at least $450 yearly of about 1.eight million farmers and create 1.2 million jobs in the cassava sub- sector of the nation’s financial system in the next 4 years.<br /><br />Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who disclosed this in Abuja, additionally announced the obligatory substitution of 10 per cent of High Quality Cassava Flour, HQCF, into composite wheat flour for bread baking in Nigeria.<br /><br />The Minister, who made this identified on the kick-off programme in Abuja, said the 1.2 million jobs could be created by means of a doubling of production, processing and advertising of cassava within the cassava-rising belt of the country.<br /><br />He stated under the motion plan, cassava farming could be run as an funding, not as challenge with the state governments, adding that the Federal Authorities will move step by step into more organised cassava sector and set up Cassava Market and Commerce Development Company, CMTDC, to coordinate farmers and provide marketplace for their produces.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />“To construct around farm clusters market institutions for long run sustainable growth of the cassava sector by way of the institution of a Cassava Market and Commerce Improvement Corporation (CMTDC),” he said.<br /><br />Adesina recognized lack of access to farm inputs, unavailability of market to little produces and low stage of expertise of farmers in Nigeria as main hindrances compelling farmers to sow in hope and reap with tears in the country.<br /><br />He lamented that only eleven % of farmers in Nigeria get fertilizer and that the fertilizer was of the low high quality, in contrast with other nations, noting that they had been working to place in place necessary things wanted for them to put them out of dungeon and boost meals manufacturing within the country.<br /><br />His phrases: “It can be crucial as a result of science has prove it that with 10% you possibly can have great bread, I do know our flour mills went by way of hell, but they need to understand that we face a particular problem. Right now, our farmers can’t discover a market for cassava, their income is dropping, unemployment is rising whereas we flood this place with imported flour.<br /><br />“I've talked to them, I'll rise up for the interest of farmers of this country; I don’t assume it is too much to ask for 10%, the federal government has three options, it may well ban wheat, enhance the tariff on wheat or flour import or use 10 % substitution inside baking bread. That 10% substitution alone is four hundred,000 metric tons of top of the range cassava flooring and 1.6million metric tons of cassava tuber.<br /><br />“We've got reached agreement with flour mills industry a week ago, I’m happy with that. We should build Nigeria and add worth to what we produce and create work for our personal farmers. With that 10% substitution going forward and the cassava transformation motion plan is how flip again agreement into fast motion on the state degree, organising the farmer and cassava processors, to see that there's contractual agreement between them and ensuring that the settlement is fulfilled.<br /><br />“We're going to monitor it very intently as a result of it is in regards to the farmers of this nation, not about any physique else. I'll wish to ask for state commissioners as they work with the cassava transformation staff put collectively a frame work for close monitoring.<br /><br />“In every country, whether or not in Netherlands or Brazil, I'm very sure you will not see the farmers with hoes and cutlasses, you'll not find farmers which are poor, they're supported earlier than planting, even after planting, they are supported in term of stabilizing the prices.<br /><br />“However Nigerian farmers don't have any support around them it's as if you have any person, you placed on a rickety boat within the Atlantic ocean and you say sail or sink. Farmers on this nation have been deserted and they're unable to benefit from they commodity they produced.<br /><br />“These are a few of the reasons they haven't been in a position to profit from the new technology. Should you have a look at the cassava we're speaking about at this time, the foundation and tubers usually are not too good, compared with Brazil. Basically, they haven't been in a position to get entry to the know-how that can elevate their productivity. Subsequently, Nigerian farmers usually are not with the ability to compete.<br /><br />“Secondly, they aren't gaining access to most elementary inputs, fertilizer. In case you look across the country in the present day, the government’s assist for farmers is fertilizer but solely eleven percent of the farmers really get it. So, because of that, the typical level of use of fertilizer within the country is simply 14 kilogram per hectare. That 14 kg/ per hectare is so low, compared to those that we are competing towards, the global average is a hundred kg per hectare.<br /><br />Talking on the memory and future of cassava manufacturing in Nigeria, Deputy Director Root and Tuber Crops, Dr. Victor Odeyemi, defined that the ten% Excessive Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) composite wheat flour was introduced by Obasanjo’s administration but was not revered by millers as a result of it was a coverage assertion without authorized backing.<br /><br />“In order to ensure that produced tubers are processed, he (Obasanjo) introduced the inclusion of 10% high quality cassava flour into composite wheat flour. Many SMEs for HCQF had been put in place within a short period. “Nevertheless, many of them soon closed as a result of non-patronage by millers because the ten% was a coverage statement without any legal backing.<br /><br />“That is where we're at present and on this , the present administration is constructing on by ensuring legal backing for every coverage and make agriculture a business which shall be private-sector driven, using 1000's of individuals along the value chain and ensuring meals safety,” he said.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-77815954016073345262011-10-27T10:29:00.000+07:002011-10-27T10:29:00.603+07:00IPB college students develop cassava noodleJAKARTA: Bogor Agricultural College (IPB) college students have developed Mo Mie, an on the spot noodle created from cassava and tempeh flour.<br /><br />Laeli Nur Hasanah, a pupil in IPB’s public health division, advised information portal okezone.com that her workforce developed the noodle to diversify staple foods, find replacements for flour and to improve the economic value of cassava.<br /><br />Manufacturing of cassava, an Indonesian staple, has been stymied by its low economic value. The scholars added the tempeh for protein.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Mo Mie can be a substitute for conventional flour-primarily based immediate noodles, Laeli said. Indonesia is the world’s second largest flour-based on the spot noodle shopper, regardless of being a web flour importer.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-30930801258907133732011-10-26T10:22:00.000+07:002011-10-26T10:28:59.963+07:00DA to spice up cassava production in 3 ARMM provincesZAMBOANGA CITY, The Department of Agriculture (DA) will distribute 46 units of cassava grater and presser to the three island provinces of the Autonomous Area in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to boost cassava manufacturing in these areas.<br /><br />The cassava graters and pressers, which were promised by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, can be distributed before the year ends to the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.<br /><br />Edgardo Tabal, regional Agricultural Extension Program Division officer-in-charge, mentioned the distribution of the tools would help the cassava farmers within the three ARMM provinces enhance their income.<br /><br />Cassava is plentiful within the three provinces as a lot of the farmers plant the crop as their main livelihood in addition to for domestic consumption.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Cassava is broadly grown within the three provinces among the various crops on alluvial, sloping and foothill areas, and some farmers intercrop it with coconut or with upland rice and corn.<br /><br />Dr. Algerico Mariscal of the Philippine Root Crops Analysis and Training Center in Leyte State College said that the ARMM has the most important consumption of cassava within the nation based on the data of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.<br /><br />ARMM is followed by Zamboanga Peninsula, Bicol, Northern Mindanao, Sorsogon, and the Nationwide Capital Area, Mariscal said.<br /><br />Tabal said cassava is included as one of many country’s major crops and is also identified beneath the DA’s Food Staple and Stability Program instead that will scale back rice importation.<br /><br />Cassava may be processed into totally different food products with increased economic value.<br /><br />Cassava can also be used within the manufacture of commercial products like as a raw materials within the manufacturing of ethanol aside from being used as food and feed ingredients.<br /><br />Tabal said they just lately performed a Expertise Coaching and Program Orientation on Cassava for Meals Undertaking in this city.<br /><br />The topics included cassava varieties for meals, cropping system, cultural management, postharvest practices, and cassava meals preparations.<br /><br />Except for Mariscal, the coaching’s different useful resource speaker was Dr. Candido Damo, nationwide cassava project chief of DA.<br /><br />Damo said the DA has set a separate funding help to promote cassava and different root crops as major products.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-76270518056329126272011-09-26T14:15:00.000+07:002011-09-26T14:24:15.790+07:00Lethal cyanide present in cassavaCassava based mostly merchandise are establishing a growing foothold in the Australian well being meals market, nevertheless, new analysis reveals that some imported merchandise comprise harmful levels of the poison cyanide.<br /><br />A staple meals for around 800 million folks, the root of the cassava plant, when not correctly processed, accommodates cyanide, which might cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness, weak spot and death.<br /><br />New analysis carried out by Asssociate Professor Ros Gleadow, Dr Anna Burns and Dr Timothy Cavagnaro of Monash University’s College of Organic Sciences, along with Dr J. Howard Bradbury from the Australian Nationwide University, examined the cyanide content of a number of merchandise presently obtainable in Melbourne and Canberra.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The testing occurred both earlier than and after the introduction by Meals Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) of a really helpful cyanide restrict of ten parts per million.<br /><br />Affiliate Professor Gleadow stated the outcomes indicated that while highly processed merchandise and those manufactured in Australia since January 2011 adhered to food safety standards, some imported products contained comparatively high levels of the poison.<br /><br />“Probably the most alarming instance of this trend is 262 ppm in a single brand of cassava chips. A baby weighing 20 kg would wish to eat 40g to 270g of these chips to succeed in the deadly dose - doubtlessly that’s only one bag of chips.<br /><br />“The protection requirements are having a positive effect, nevertheless it’s not clear that there’s any testing or enforcement occurring, which is worrying. We would advocate the introduction of proper labelling and enforcement of the safety standards.”<br /><br />Professor Gleadow mentioned that because cassava-based mostly meals was not extensively consumed in Australia, it was not perceived as a risk.<br /><br />“If you happen to look to African and Asian nations, where cassava is a big a part of folks’s diets, the risks of consuming large quantities of the unprocessed root are clear. One of the most devastating outcomes of a monotonous cassava-primarily based food regimen is Konzo, a disease which might trigger everlasting paralysis.”</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-35546282554485226682011-09-22T13:38:00.000+07:002011-09-22T13:38:00.092+07:00Worth Addition Key to Cassava Revolution in NigeriaThe International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has stated that for the nation to spice up cassava production, it should pay extra attention than ever before to value addition.<br /><br />The Director Common, IITA, Dr. Peter Hartmann, mentioned other than bettering farmers’ incomes, value addition has the ability to address the increasing degree of unemployment in Nigeria.<br /><br />He spoke at a stakeholders’ forum in Ibadan, Oyo State, to mark the end of the CFC-funded Cassava Worth Chain Project in Nigeria carried out by IITA and its national partners.<br /><br />Hartman, who was represented by a scientist with IITA, Dr. Gbassey Tarawali, mentioned the establishment of cassava processing centres in Masaka, Lafia, and Kuje for the production of garri, fufu, cassava flour and starch is producing constructive outcomes by providing new streams of incomes to the benefiting communities.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He added that with an annual production of about 44 million tonnes of cassava, Nigeria was in the present day the world’s chief of cassava, but confused that the country was but to harness the maximum benefit from cassava attributable to inadequate processing amenities, and stated this subjects the crop to seasonal glut.<br /><br />Everlasting Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Funding, Dr. Abubakar Abdullahi, mentioned worth addition to cassava would assist flip around the fortunes of farmers.<br /><br />The permanent secretary stated cassava provided large alternatives that might broaden the nation’s economic viability and enhance its competitiveness notably in the non-oil sector.<br /><br />“Nigeria as the largest world producer of cassava can profit immensely from this great crop if concerted efforts were made at harnessing its numerous potentials,” he mentioned,<br /><br />“Let me name on all key players within the cassava industry and prospective buyers to take a cue from the cassava prototype tasks with a view to putting in standard processing crops to utilise the volume of cassava produced in the nation as a supply of income,” he said.<br /><br />Nigeria’s Challenge Coordinator, Mrs. Omololu Ope-ewe, said that the approach used in the mission was to strengthen farmers, processors and entrepreneurs by means of the introduction of appropriate technologies.<br /><br />“The cassava challenge was very profitable in all venture websites namely Kuje (Shabach Food), Mararaba (Joe Beg Farms) and Angwa village in Lafia, Nasarawa State. All the challenge websites got varied intervention measures including building structures, cassava processing tools, packaging materials etc. The products from the websites had been accepted by NAFDAC,” she said.<br /><br />The IITA-CFC Regional Coordinator, Prof. Lateef Sanni, known as on the beneficiaries to benefit from the processing centres. He urged policymakers and the non-public sector to make the most of the untapped alternatives available within the cassava sector, especially processing.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-75818718918498993322011-09-21T17:25:00.000+07:002011-09-21T17:31:15.880+07:00Stick to rising cassava for good harvestsTanzanian farmers ought to stick to rising drought resistant crops in the event that they wish to enhance their harvests in view of world climate modifications that always lead to insufficient rainfall.The recommendation was given yesterday by the minister for Agriculture, Food Safety and Cooperatives, Professor Jumanne Maghembe, in Dar es Salaam to mark the Cassava Week.<br /><br />Officiating on the launch of the exhibition held at Karimjee grounds, the minister mentioned cultivating drought resistant crops, comparable to cassava, would enable Tanzania overcome the perennial meals shortages.<br /><br />“With the current world weather changes, which extra typically result in inadequate rainfall, cassava stands out as the suitable crop in most parts of the country. Improving production and productivity of the crop will, subsequently, guarantee meals security and earnings to native and international farmers and the nation,” said Prof Maghembe.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />He said cassava was a drought resistant root crop, tolerant to low soil fertility and most pests. The crop can be saved underground safely and conveniently compared to other food crops, he said.Further, he went on to say, it allows for extensive flexibility in planting and harvesting time, the outcome being the potential for having a crop all the year round.<br /><br />Prof Maghembe said if cassava could be grown and stored in good situations a farmer could realise 20 tonnes of cassava or more. He stated the crop contributes significantly to family food security, earnings and employment opportunities for 500 million people around the world.<br /><br />“Because of being a strategic food safety crop, cassava might be among crops with high productiveness potentials that may considerably contribute to poverty discount within the country and livelihood basically, thus being a key player in fostering rural improvement,” he said.<br /><br />Giving examples, he mentioned China needs 500,000 tonnes of cassava from Africa annually. Thus he suggested farmers to extend the crop’s production in order to satisfy the world market.Prof Maghembe mentioned despite its significance, production of the crop was still very low in the country, estimated at six tonnes per hectare in opposition to the potential of over 30 tonnes per hectare.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-84366692868078908222011-07-13T09:04:00.000+07:002011-07-13T09:04:00.349+07:00Tapioca flour and exports growth areas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUlZrwaklmUgdJFsrq2jnlLc2mAPqG5XSm_K8jSy34iyyCws9uivN58s2yPt4hA21-HCn6Fj_UirBsnslh1vp_9an2XhBpcUZcJD4VqCXnmLVal_YzrJEjp_4yprxcnbnFtBPfl7KJIMM/s1600/cassavabalance.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 176px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUlZrwaklmUgdJFsrq2jnlLc2mAPqG5XSm_K8jSy34iyyCws9uivN58s2yPt4hA21-HCn6Fj_UirBsnslh1vp_9an2XhBpcUZcJD4VqCXnmLVal_YzrJEjp_4yprxcnbnFtBPfl7KJIMM/s200/cassavabalance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628281428159032610" /></a>The Thai tapioca industry will focus on flour exports and Asian markets as part of its growth strategy over the next five years, when the exports of tapioca products could reach 100 billion baht.<br /><br />The Commerce Ministry projected that by 2016, domestic demand for cassava roots in ethanol production will surge to 13 million tonnes, while exports could top 22.5 million tonnes, totalling 35.5 million tonnes, up 42% from the current production levels.<br /><br />Speaking at the World Tapioca Conference 2011, Yanyong Phuangrach, the ministry's permanent secretary, said Thailand should focus more on exporting tapioca flour to substitute for a reduction in the export of tapioca chips and pellets.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The proportion of flour exports is expected to rise to 65% from 51% now, with chips and pellets making up the rest.<br /><br />Mr Yanyong said the country should build a good image and accept the standards of its tapioca flour and other products to create confidence among importers, buyers and local consumers.<br /><br />Thai exporters should also expand in promising markets, especially in Asia countries such as China, India and Indonesia, to ensure flour quality and lower transport and insurance costs.<br /><br />Sharing his view was Pramote Kongthong, president of the North Eastern Tapioca Trade Association, adding that tapioca flour has high potential to be used in food, energy and other industries.<br /><br />He is confident Thailand's exports of tapioca products will exceed 100 billion baht over the next five years. Currently, there is more investment in tapioca flour factories to supply major customers in China and India.<br /><br />Tapioca is a key economic crop for the country, creating jobs and income for more than 500,000 families, with plantation areas of about 6.5 million to 7 million rai.<br /><br />Thailand harvests approximately 20-25 million tonnes of cassava roots each year, 75% of which are processed for export.<br /><br />Last year, the country shipped 7.27 million tonnes of all types of tapioca products worth US$2.15 billion (68.3 billion baht).<br /><br />Seree Denworalak, president of the Thai Tapioca Traders Association, said tapioca exports this year were projected at 73 billion baht, of which 44 billion baht would be tapioca flour.<br /><br />However, the figures may change after a survey on cassava root production in September.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-91885621089455163822011-07-12T09:01:00.000+07:002011-07-12T09:02:35.978+07:00School's giant cassava findTEACHERS and students of Bulileka Sanatan Primary School in Labasa got a shock when a seven-month-old cassava plant bore a 20 kilogram crop.<br /><br />Students from the school uprooted the plant on Thursday.<br /><br />Headteacher Narsamma Naidu said they were thrilled to see such a gigantic crop in their yard.<br /><br />"This is a rare sight and we are really surprised that we have this big crop right here in our school garden," Ms Naidu said.<br /><br />"I asked the garden teacher to dig up a cassava plant for our morning tea because we decided to have tea with cassava this morning," she said.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Ms Naidu said they would cook some for morning tea and the rest would be shared among the teachers who were interested.<br /><br />She said the growth of the plant would have to be attributed to soil fertility given the creek that flowed nearby.<br /><br />She said five students planted the crop in December.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-54021247100874692512011-07-07T12:51:00.000+07:002011-07-07T12:51:00.441+07:00Cassava prices continue to climbCassava prices continued to move up into the second half of 2011 although the movement is slower than last year. Data from the Ministry of Commerce noted in the consumer price of cassava has risen 1.13% in the first half of 2011, the average price in January Rp 2988 per kilogram (kg) to Rp 3022 per kg in June 2011. <br /><br />Rhomy Irawan, Second Secretary Cassava Farmers Association of Indonesia (Aspesindo) said the current high price increases that occurred in cassava farmers. From an average price of fresh cassava maximum of Rp 600 to Rp 650 per kg to Rp 900 to Rp 1100 per kg, this price varies depending on the type of cassava and cassava garden access. <br /><br />"The price of land has increased beyond our expectations, this might be because there is a rise in demand. But we still observe whether the increase is only temporary because there are speculators or will be stable," said Rhomy via telephone on Tuesday (5 / 7). <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Cassava Indonesia Society Head I Suhayo Husen said the price increase is driven by high demand from both domestic industry and overseas. Husen said Indofood demand for semi-finished cassava processed into chips alone reached 200,000 tons to 300,000 tons per year, whereas to produce 1 kg of chips it takes about 3.5 kg of fresh cassava. <br /><br />Husen mention half the price of processed cassava is also increased from an average of Rp 1,500 per kg in January 2011 to Rp 2,000 in June. The high demand and prices offered by the food processing industry is made from raw cassava by Husen create more incentive to cassava production. <br /><br />"People who were not planted cassava is now so willing to plant cassava. In East Kalimantan, opened 600 ha of new cassava fields, in Central Sulawesi, there are 600 hectares as well, then there is 3000 ha in Cianjur," Husen said when contacted Tuesday (5 / 7 ). <br /><br />Rhomy premise that the additions of cassava plantations up to 35% from the end of last year due to weather factors that make farmers switch vegetable planting cassava. He also said Aspesindo currently pioneering the cultivation of cassava in Sukabumi is expected to increase local production by 50%. <br /><br />Besides expanding production area, Husen stated farmers MSI members also use the seeds of cassava and cassava Manggu Darul Hidayah which has production capacity of up to 100 tons per hectare (Tonnes / Ha). Whereas ordinary cassava seedlings only has production capacity of 20 Ton / Ha. Husen said with this addition, the production of cassava this year could reach 25 million tones to 26 million tons, up about 10% of 2010 production of 23.9 million tons. <br /><br />Husen said the business potential of cassava is still wide open due to the domestic industry only require an average of 1 million tons of tapioca flour per year, whereas to produce 1 kg of tapioca starch is needed 3.5 kg of fresh cassava. The need for modified cassava flour (Mocaf) also reached an average of 1 million tons per year. Not to mention the demand for cassava chip exports to China are one factory alone could require up to 4 million tones of cassava per year. From this demand, according to records MSI, Indonesia can only meet 5% or about 200,000 tons of cassava chips. <br /><br />But worrying about the price of fresh cassava Rhomy can sag back to a level of maximum USD 700 if the supply is abundant and demand was rising from the current position. Moreover, if farmers are still only offer fresh cassava alone, the potential for export business could be released. <br /><br />"Demand for export out of it in processed form, while to hold a cassava cutting machine and dryer that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars for one machine only. If for cooperatives or farmer groups combined (Gapoktan) is still a little heavy," said Rhomy.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-37478459479250014442011-07-06T12:22:00.001+07:002011-07-06T12:28:31.555+07:00"Cassava War" Bustling Tela's FestivalCenter souvenirs Cake Tela Clark held a "Festival Tela Indonesia" (FTI) first in Yogyakarta. Activities that are packed with a variety of creativity, will take place at the Square Puro Pakualaman on July 16 to 17 later. <br /><br />FTI chairman of the Committee, Firmansyah Budi Prasetyo said that this event will be displayed in more than 100 processed foods from cassava and non-cassava. With the purpose of promoting the branding tela as food quality is not inferior to the other foodstuffs. <br /><br />"All this is still viewed tela ndeso products that are less appreciated by the community, especially as they still lay on local food products. In fact, Yogya is the main cassava-producing areas in Java with the production of more than 800 thousand pounds per year," he said on Monday ( 4 / 7). <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />To that end, advanced Word, people should know that the processed products tela which has now grown with different variants of processed food and non food-grade and high flavor. <br /><br />This event will be enlivened by Tela War or the "Cassava War" which will be followed 100 people who are members of various communities. The war in question is using tela already crushed for the smear to each participant. <br /><br />"Cassava War" wants to show it is a struggle to introduce more refined products at a time when Indonesia tela flooded with imported food products, "he said. <br /><br />Event FTI also enlivened by the "Ball Grebeg Tela" tela form of raw materials and other tubers to be paraded from the town square towards Bintaran Pakualaman by Bregada. Arriving at the location, raw materials will be incorporated into processed products tela, which in turn will be contested by the public. <br /><br />"This grand event we hope to be able to break the record Muri with the highest category of processed products initiated Agency for Food Security and Guidance (BKPP) DI Yogyakarta," said Word.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-58552493979216420452011-06-25T09:30:00.000+07:002011-06-25T09:30:00.396+07:00Collaboration on cassava-based ethanolThailand has teamed up with neighbouring countries to develop ethanol from fresh cassava, aiming to turn the kingdom into a regional technology and production centre for cassava-based renewable fuel.<br /><br />Under a programme called South-South Technology Transfer: Ethanol Production from Cassava, which is funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GIF), Thailand will be a focal point in forging cooperation with Vietnam, Laos, and Burma.<br /><br />The four-year project, which will be launched next year, includes two pilot ethanol plants to be built in Thailand and Vietnam. The facilities could be developed for commercial-scale production in the next phase through a partnership with interested investors and banks.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Thai pilot project will be located at an alcohol production plant of the Liquor Distillery Organisation (LDO) in Bang Khla, Chachoengsao, to produce ethanol from fresh cassava between 2012 and 2013. Next month it will test ethanol production from tapioca chips, and it has produced molasses-based ethanol in the past.<br /><br />"The main problem for ethanol production in Thailand now is the relatively high cost of raw materials, as the price of molasses is increasing," said LDO director Ittithep Visessmit.<br /><br />Tapioca chips are now priced at seven baht per kilogramme, compared to three baht per kg for fresh cassava, which also generates a higher yield for ethanol production.<br /><br />"Once we can produce ethanol from fresh cassava, we will contract with farmers to lower the cost of raw materials," he added.<br /><br />The pilot plant in Hanoi will be operated between 2013 and 2014 with capacity of 50 litres a day of E100, less than the 200 litres at the Thai plant, said the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, a partner in this project.<br /><br />The National Science and Technology Development Agency will receive 80 million baht from GIF to help with technology transfer to neighbouring countries, as Thailand is more advanced in this area.<br /><br />Thailand is the world's largest exporter of tapioca products, with annual production of 25-30 million tonnes.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-22241008683295353182011-06-24T08:23:00.000+07:002011-06-24T08:24:23.263+07:00Cassava exports increase as China prices surgeViet Nam exported US$638 million of cassava in the first five months of the year, nearly equal to 110 per cent of the entire export revenue of last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.<br /><br />Although the domestic price has risen to VND5,800 a kg, cassava is still exported to China in large quantities because it can fetch higher prices.<br /><br />In recent years, exports to China accounted for about 5 million tonnes annually.<br /><br />Viet Nam has about 510,000ha of cassava planted, with an annual output of nearly 9 million tonnes.<br /><br />The ministry estimates the country's domestic demand for cassava this year will be 8.12 million tonnes.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Of that figure, 1.89 million tonnes are used for producing ethanol, and the remaining volume for animal feed and confectionary products.<br /><br />Pham Duc Binh, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Animal Feed Association, said cassava accounted for 30-40 per cent of input materials in animal feed production.<br /><br />However, cassava is also exported so domestic animal feed plants have not been able to buy enough for production, Binh told Viet Nam Economic Times.<br /><br />Le Khac Triet, director of the Viet Nam Cassava and Cassava Starch Club, said since 2009 cassava had become an agricultural plant with high economic value.<br /><br />The price of cassava has increased to VND5,700-6,000 a kg, compared to just VND200-500 a kg in 2007-08 and VND4,000 a kg in 2010.<br /><br />Farmers in central provinces have expanded the area under cassava cultivation, raising concerns among local authorities about forest protection and transferring to cassava cultivation.<br /><br />In Quang Ngai Province's Son Ha District, for instance, farmers have cleared protective forests upstream of the Thach Nham River to grow cassava.<br /><br />Ta Tien, acting head of the Son Tra District Forest Protection Bureau, said this situation had happened over the past few months.<br /><br />In 2006-10, Quang Ngai had planned for 13,500 ha of cassava in 2010, but the area had increased to 21,000ha in 2010, and is continuing to rise.<br /><br />In Ha Tinh Province, hundreds of households in Ky Anh District had also destroyed protective forests to grow cassava.<br /><br />Triet warned that cassava had become a hot product and when output exceeds demand, the price could drop as it did in 2007-08.<br /><br />At that time, it would be difficult for farmers to switch to other crops because the fertility of the soil would be eroded after three to four years of growing cassava, he said.<br /><br />To resolve the cassava material shortage, the cultivation area should not be increased, but measures should be taken to increase productivity, Triet said.<br /><br />Farmers in some countries have harvested cassava output of 40 tonnes per ha a year while in Viet Nam output is only 17.2 tonnes per ha.<br /><br />Measures to increase cassava productivity include applying advanced farming techniques and finding high-yield cassava strains, he said.<br /><br />He added that his club had found new cassava strains with a high yield of 40 tonnes per ha a year.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536012962667142874.post-6525422257150303772011-06-14T09:41:00.000+07:002011-06-14T09:41:00.518+07:00Farmers chop down sugar cane to grow cassavaFor the last 37 years, Quang Ngai province has been considered the “sugar cane metropolis” of the central region. However, farmers in Quang Ngai province do not grow sugar cane any more, but cassavas instead. Cassavas can bring higher profits than sugar cane. The area for growing sugar cane has been reduced gradually in the central province. <br /><br />Currently, dozens of intermediary merchants are competing fiercely with cassava processing plants to collect cassava from farmers. Plants are purchasing fresh cassava from farmers at 1800 dong per kilo, and merchants have also raised the purchase price to 1800 dong per kilo. Cassava slicing machines have been running day and night, while merchants have been going to every corner in villages and communes to collect cassavas. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />As the demand for cassava has increased, farmers have given up sugar cane farming and shifted to growing cassavas. In Tinh Tan Tay commune in Son Tinh district, which had been well known as a sugar cane area, 2/3 of the sugar cane plants have been chopped down to make way for cassava cultivation. People in the commune now rush to sell cassavas to merchants, though the harvest will only come in two months. <br /><br />Nguyen Thi Hai, a farmer in Tinh An commune, said that last year, she sold fresh cassava at 400,000-500,000 dong per ton, while she now can sell it at 900,000 per ton. If she sells dried cassavas, she will get 1.8 million dong per ton. Hai said that farmers can have two cassava crops a year, while they do not need to spend much time to take care of the cassava fields. Meanwhile, sugar cane only has one crop a year, while the price of a ton of sugar cane is lower at 700,000-750,000 dong per ton. <br /><br />Since the profits brought in by cassavas are double those of sugar cane, farmers have rushed to grow cassavas. As a result, sugar refineries have been seriously lacking sugar cane to process, while cassava processing plants have been enlarging. <br /><br />According to Le Tuan Toan, Deputy General Director of Quang Ngai Farm Produce and Food Company, the company now has five cassava processing plants, including two in Quang Ngai, one in Phu Yen, one in Dak To, and one in Tay Ninh province. A bio-fuel plant that makes fuel from sliced cassava is now under construction in Quang Ngai province.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0