(Sundiata Post) — The National president, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Pastor Segun Adewumi has described cassava as a cash crop which, if well cultivated, using modern technologies can provide employment for about five million farmers and N15 trillion in revenues from processed starch.
He made this known during the Cassava virus and clean seed training workshop held at Covenant University, Ota, Lagos. In his presentation, he disclosed that Nigeria has 84 million hectares of arable land, hence, with the aid of modern technology for cassava cultivation, five million hectares would produce 200 million metric tons of cassava.
He further stated that if the cassava is milled into industrial starch, Nigeria would have 50 million metric tons of industrial starch. “As of today, industrial starch sells in Nigeria for N300,000 per tons and that means about N15 trillion naira additional income to Nigeria. It can also mean full employment for five million farmers, service providers, skilled and unskilled factory workers”, he added.
He however stressed that despite the fact that Cassava produces over twenty local food types and also serves as an industrial produce for ethanol, industrial starch, glucose syrup, sweetener, amongst others, Nigeria still imports over 97 per cent of ethanol at the cost of over 700 billion naira annually.
“We import industrial starch for over 400 billion naira annually. The white wheat bread that we depend on can accommodate 40 per cent cassava flour and save over 350 billion naira from importation of wheat to Nigeria. This implies that cassava can produce these items for which Nigeria expend over two trillion naira in foreign currency”, he added.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Shalom Chinedu disclosed that many Africans are lavished by hunger. He added that eight per cent of Africans live below $2 dollars per day and thus, advised that the cultivation of cassava should be highly taken note of as the crop serves as a producer of many other products.
The team leader, West Africa Virus Epidemology (WAVE) for root and tuber crops, Dr. Angela Eni also reiterated that cassava is consumed by over 800 million people across the world. She therefore urged participants to contribute towards the success of the programme.