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To improve the productivity of cassava to potential yields of 30–40 tonnes per hectare, activities
included the promotion of fertiliser use and the introduction of nitrogen-fixing legumes into
cassava-based systems. Effort was also made to encourage the use of labour-saving devices,
including power tillers, cassava planters, and harvesters. The team worked closely with herbicide
and fertiliser companies to provide services at the farm-gate level. The continuous use of certified
weed control groups ensured farmers had the benefit of unadulterated chemicals and at the
same time provided youth employment. Farmers, extension agents, NGOs, and the private sector
were trained in new technologies and adequate extension materials and leaflets were produced.
Through ICP a wide range of value-added products were introduced to the market. These
included ethanol, odourless fufu flour, cassava flour for bread making, starch, and livestock
feed. Emphasis was given to upgrading or developing and testing new processing and drying
facilities. Local fabricators were trained and linked to potential investors and credit sources.
A Market Information Service was introduced with information on processing disseminated
through posters, fliers, radio, TV, newspapers, and exhibitions. This focus on enterprise
development and market promotion helped in poverty reduction and enhancing profitability.
Achievements. Cassava production has grown rapidly in Africa over recent decades, with
Nigeria recently surpassing Brazil as the world’s leading cassava producer. Production tripled in
less than a decade as improved cassava varieties, successful pest control and strong producer
incentives increased production potential. Nigeria has led the increase in cassava production
by introducing improved varieties, successful pest control, strong producer incentives and
processing technologies coupled with favourable Government policies. Across the entire
breadth of Africa’s cassava belt, many millions of farmers have benefitted from the large-scale
investment of public resources in cassava breeding and pest control programmes. Breeding
breakthroughs by IITA breeders and successive waves of new variety releases to national
breeding programmes have resulted in highly productive new varieties being grown across
the continent. An estimated 29 percent of the cassava area is now planted to new varieties.
Nigerian production has increased, particularly in the last decade, partly through the adoption
of higher yielding varieties, but also through an increase in the area cropped. Current estimates
of cassava production are around 34 million tonnes per annum; with over 90 percent of this
being consumed and about 50 percent marketed (Markelova, et al., 2009). Yield increases have
resulted in up to 80 percent increases in productivity with both smallholder farmers and urban
consumers benefitting from higher incomes and improved food security.
IITA’s ICP project alone has developed many new improved CMD-resistant cassava varieties
with potential to yields over 30 tonnes per hectare. Nearly 300,000 farmers are now planting
improved varieties and achieving yields increases from 11–25 tonnes per hectare with a 25
percent decline in the incidence of CMD. Nearly 500 processing enterprises and over 10,000
new jobs have been created, while revenue of over US$ 50 million has been generated from
sales of such cassava products as mash, gari, odourless fufu flour, high-quality cassava flour for
bread making, chips, cassavita, starch and ethanol.
New or unresolved challenges. In the future, processing technologies, packaging and the
further development of industrial applications will be crucial to the sustained economic
expansion of cassava production and marketing. While past growth has focused on markets for
78 Agricultural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa