Cassava over recent years has gained unexpected attention in the field of agribusiness. Its importance has been greatly realized and has generated so much wealth for the producers and processors of the crop.
The cassava plant in itself is a rich source of nutrients and doubles as a source of income for every individual within the cassava value chain. The leaves serve as a rich source of food for livestock whiles in some parts of the world are used for food and medicinal purposes. The stems after harvesting can be easily converted into cassava cuttings for replanting. This in the long run helps to cut down the cost of acquiring a new set of seedlings for planting but generates excess income from the cuttings replanted after it is matured and harvested.
The cassava roots are a major source of food for most African countries and for that matter help those who sell them generate lots of income from it. Aside it being a major source of food, most industries process it into finished goods like flour, ethanol or alcohol, cassava chips, etc. to be used in other industries as a raw material for producing other finished products.
Cassava starch and ethanol for example is very essential in the pharmaceutical, food, textile and clothing industries. The byproduct of processed cassava equally finds its way to become very useful as well. For processing methods where pealing is done, the byproducts are converted into gari, flour, etc., and for processing methods without pealing, animal feed, or manure.
One can say that Cassava starch is perhaps the most versatile industrial resource because of how it is largely used in both food and non-food industries. By the analysis of the rapid world population, the demand for cassava starch and other derivatives of cassava is estimated to increase.
This is a strong indication that cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is important food security and income-generating crop and every section of the cassava value chain serves as a multiple stream income.
“Cassava starch is perhaps the most versatile industrial resource because of how it is largely used in both food and non-food industries.”
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