Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project Update

Andrew Westby,

Kolawole Adebayo

, Lateef Sanni, Nanam Dziedzoave, Vito Sanifolo, Grace Mahende, Francis Alacho, Andrew Graffham, Louise Adeyomi, Helena Posthumus, Adrienne Martin, Rory Hillocks, Lora Forsythe, Richard Lamboll, Paul Ilona, Adebayo Abass Main Partners:

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Objective

After five years, more than 70,000 smallholder households and employees of village processing units and intermediaries in two areas of five countries will increase their incomes by improvements to high quality cassava flour value chains

Context

• Implemented as a partnership between NRI and key national partners.

• Builds on previous work supported by DFID, European Commission and others • Nigeria/Ghana – 4 years • Tanzania – 3.5 years with a delay because of changing Country Manager • Uganda, Malawi – 3 years • Some progress and some challenges • Context, progress and challenges differ widely by country

Context

• Cassava is a challenging commodity to process – short shelf life, time-consuming to harvest and costly to dry • Project focussed on HQCF • Cassava takes at least 12 month to mature after planting and is prone to large fluctuations in production due to delayed demand to price signals.

• Very important food security crop; rarely “grown commercially ”

Our Vision...

• A vibrant and competitive High Quality Cassava Flour industry based on market led efficient production and processing which leads to a reduction in rural poverty

The major challenge…

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Project start up activities….

• Established offices in Ghana/Nigeria • Established Africa office in Ghana • Undertook value chain analysis • Undertook gender analysis • Undertook situation analysis at village/ target areas level • Development country-specific implementation plans

Progress Tanzania Start of the project

• CBSD prevalence especially in the Lake Zone Cassava yield low (less than 10t/ha) • Wheat milling industry is concentrated in DSM where four mills are located (capacity: 2,100 tonnes/day) • Wheat Imports were lower in 2008 due to high international wheat prices.

• Very low starting point for HQCF development, despite previous interventions

March 2012

• 18 community groups now use food grade equipment for HQCF (capacity 12MT/month) • Participating farmers in Mtwara Region now using improved agronomic practices • Lucrative, but small local food market absorbing HQCF at premium price ($685/MT) compared to $377/MT for local alternative • 3 intermediary types in Mtwara Region now operational • Challenges with sun-drying and scaling up.

• Evaluated and rejected solar drying.

Progress Uganda

Start of the project

•Low Quality Cassava flour traded extensively (200,000 t /annum of dried cassava chips) •But not HQCF – starting HQCF from very low base •Collapse in cassava production due to CBSD limiting cassava yields •Very high price for fresh cassava roots due to demand from Sudan

March 2012

• Working with three farmer-processor associations (3,100 members) • Formal linkages established between HQCF processing groups and bakeries that were trained in the use of HQCF in baking • Three processing sites developed to meet EAS 39 code of practice for hygiene in the food and drink manufacturing industry • Technical backstopping of 9 service providers to train processors in line with EAS 39

Four of the beneficiaries have constructed new houses for their families from the proceeds of HQCF sale.

Progress Malawi

Start of the project

• Cassava is an important crop in some parts of the country • A vibrant small-farmer sector used to selling on to large scale processors and exporters • Official data states that about 3.5 million t at 19t/ha was produced in 2009 (more common yield is 15t/ha) • Some cassava is used as a wheat flour replacement in manufacture of poor quality biscuits. • No production of HQCF • Significant

commercial

agricultural sector

March 2012

•Detailed assessment of markets and successful identification of serious potential investors •Universal Industries now expecting delivery of one flash dryer from Nobex Tech Company, Nigeria •Successful study tour to Nigeria for potential investors and end users to examine technical and logistical aspects of HQCF value chains •Demonstration and trials with PIM using HQCF in packaging materials •Successful training of equipment fabricators from Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania by fabricators from Nigeria

Progress Ghana

Start of the project

• Cassava glut arising from RTIP and other cassava production projects (approx. 30% more than demand) • Concerns about future gluts.

• HQCF flour utilization by some plywood and food companies at commercial levels had been initiated (previous FRI/NRI research) • Some previous success using sun-drying supplying local bakers • 5 enterprises with bin dryers of limited capacity (15t of HQCF per month)

March, 2012

• The National Composite Flour Committee was inaugurated in 2011 with C:AVA playing a leading role • Successful establishment of an LPG for $210,000 with Ecobank Plc • The collaboration with WAAPP has resulted in the introduction of a flash dryer from Nigeria into Ghana. C:AVA is now making inputs to facilitate proper installation of the new flash dryer.

• Successfully assisted 6 enterprises to develop linkages with plywood mills and instant fufu producers

Progress Nigeria

Start of the Project

•156 flash-dryers (FD) in 127 SME ’s •86% of FD’s poor – 11% efficiency, Output 103kg/hr 374 litres diesel/tonne •14% FD’s - 32% efficiency, Output 96kg, 132 litres diesel per tonne •International standard: Efficiency 50%, 200kg/hr 76-80 litres diesel per tonne

March, 2012

•Successfully restarted the value chain •New design FD: 49% efficiency, Output 202kg/hr, 86 litres diesel per tonne ($5,000 more than old models) Double output / saving $63,000/yr when compared to old models for comparable output •Upgrade existing FD ($3,000) – 41% efficiency, Output 138kg/hr, 103 litres diesel per tonne

Future prospects

• Undertake impact studies in each country.

• Future growth in HQCF markets.

• Need for processing technology between sun drying and a flash dryer.

• Impact of climate change.

• Application of the C:AVA approach to other cassava product value chains. • Strong linkages with initiatives on seed systems and breeding.