Annual Report 2012 - African Agricultural Technology Foundation

50 AATF Annual Report 2012
Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project
Cassava Mechanisation
and Agro-processing
Project kicks-off in
Zambia and Nigeria
A woman performs a traditional
dance in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
As the Project progresses into 2013, the
acreage under CAMAP will be up scaled
to cover 200 hectares in Zambia and 300
hectares in Nigeria for the 2013/2014
planting season.
Mr George Marechera, Business
Development Manager, AATF
Cassava farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are set to benefit from
access to labour-saving production technologies with the kick-off of the
Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-processing Project (CAMAP) whose
implementation began in August 2012 with Zambia and Nigeria as the
pilot countries.
Mechanisation of cassava production and processing has been
identified by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development as the most
important constraint to the development of the cassava sector in Africa. This
has resulted in the launch of the Pan-African Cassava Initiative. Several
countries, such as Nigeria and Ghana, have also started national initiatives
to promote the use of cassava in industries. The Nigerian government
requires that 10 percent cassava flour be incorporated in wheat flour for
bread making. Meeting this demand requires a large number of small-scale
cassava processing units and provides a market opportunity for farmers.
However, the existing capacity for manufacturing of cassava processing
equipment is limited and unless it is upgraded, Africa’s farmers and
entrepreneurs are unlikely to benefit from the new market opportunities.
The Project, therefore, aims to stimulate cassava mechanisation along the
product value chain to ensure increased production and value addition and
on the other hand reduce post-harvest losses.
Deploying agricultural technologies for farmers