Organizing CommitteeBackgroundObjectivesPoints of interestAgendaList of ParticipantsOutcomes |
Dr. Claude M. Fauquet Director GCP21 CIAT, Apdo. Aereo 6713 Cali, Colombia Cell: +1-314-477-3973 Email: c.fauquet@cgiar.org Web: www.gcp21.org |
Dr. Alred Dixon Director CWCMP IITA, Oyo Rd, Ibadan, Nigeria Tel: +234-808-547-3738 Ext. 2956 Email: a.dixon@cgiar.org Web: www.cassavaweed.org |
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
IITA |
Dr. Ken Dashiell Dr. Alfred Dixon Dr. Peter Kulakow Dr. Peter Kolawole |
GCP21 | Dr. Claude M. Fauquet |
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this workshop, is not a scientific exchange of information, but rather identify together, the key elements for a successful modernization of cassava production in Africa with the aim to multiply by three the production.
Of special interest is the development of the
TAAT program (Technologies for the African Agricultural Transformation) by the AfDB to begin in 2017. Mechanization and high productivity are key for reaching a level of production which will allow feeding a booming African population and an harmonious development of cassava processing chains for food and for the industry in Africa.
Mechanization of cassava production will succeed in boosting cassava production in Africa if two sets of elements are met. The first category is an ensemble of technologies related to cassava production such as the use of improved varieties, the adoption of best agronomic practices, and an efficient weed control. The second set of indispensable elements is the organization of farmers in cooperatives to ensure a good management of the production, an easy access to affordable loans, and securing markets for the excess production of cassava roots to keep the price of cassava roots at an acceptable but competitive level.
This workshop is following a Mechanization workshop organized by AATF which reviewed all the technical and equipment constraints (Abeokuta, October 25-26). The aim of this second workshop is to review all the key elements listed above and to discuss how to integrate them in a very efficient system to ensure success of the Modernization of Cassava Production in Africa.
OBJECTIVES:
(1)
Identify key elements for successful modernization of cassava production in Africa
(2) Sensitize policy makers, developers, bankers and scientists to the need for an integrated system cassava production in Africa, through a pro-active communication plan
POINTS OF
INTEREST TO DISCUSS:
The purpose of this workshop is to discuss all the key
elements that may allow a modernization and great
enhancement of the cassava production in Africa. There is no
single magic bullet to do this transformation. In other
parts of the world, such transformation took decades, but in
Africa with the exploding population to be fed by 2050 to
avoid major unrests, it is imperative that we plan the
development of all these key elements to work simultaneously
to effectively aim at success. Therefore, we will review the
different steps during this workshop.
The
crop production “package”
Improved Varieties
The genetic make-up of
the varieties grown by farmers is a key factor and we have
to recognize and acknowledge, despite some progress made,
that much more could be achieved in the coming years. This
will go through a recognition of the need to consider
consumer and processor constraints. In the last 50 years we
have focused a lot on disease resistance and yield, and not
much on the processing qualities. Cassava being the first
food crop on the continent, nourishing a large fraction of
the population, we can no longer ignore the biochemical and
physical qualities required to produce good and acceptable
food. New breeding tools should allow the breeders to be
able to consider at once a large number of traits and
markers, while maintaining disease resistance and high
yield.
Seed systems
A
performing cassava production will need the regular
provision of high quality seeds and also new varieties
produced by breeders. An efficient and sustainable seed
system has to be developed to provide these quality seeds to
farmers on a regular basis. To be sustainable, the provided
varieties have to be appreciated by farmers and processors
and they have to be high producers (above 30 t/Ha), and they
also have to be affordable for farmers.
Best
agronomic practices
Despite decades of
research, definition of best agronomic practices for cassava
have to be optimized according to the type of agriculture,
the soil, and the environmental conditions. A mechanized
production will allow to define and use these best
practices. Fertilizer with appropriate NPK concentrations
will have to be developed and sold in the local market.
Weed control
It has been
established for a long period of time, that weeds “eat” 50%
0f the harvest if they are not removed in the first 50days
after planting. However manual weeding done on all crops at
the same period of the year, does not favor to remove weeds
from cassava fields. Other chemical and physical methods
have to be developed rapidly to do so effectively. There is
actually a shortage of manpower in the country side, and
women are not physically capable to cope manually with weed
control with larger lots, other solutions have to be
developed.
Mechanization
Although the advantages of mechanization seem more and more
obvious, very little of the cassava acreage is actually
grown with machines (<10%). Costs and time estimates seem to
support the conclusion that it would be the advantage of the
producers to mechanize, but many elements to permit this
mechanization are missing: dealers, importers, service
providers, maintenance, development of a whole
entrepreneurial business has to be developed. Access to
cheap loans to buy equipment by service providers or
cooperatives of farmers has to be set in place at affordable
rates, nationwide at the continental level.
Management through cooperatives
A very
important element is to set-up and develop effective
cooperatives of farmers. This would ease access to
affordable loans and would allow to share risks. In many
countries, cooperatives and associations of farmers have
been done and proven to be key components for the
modernization of agriculture. Africa will be no exception.
What will be needed to develop efficient farmer cooperatives
is what has to be determined and organized.
Access to credit
This single element is
probably the most important one in the whole system. In
Europe and North America, the development of credit in
parallel to the agricultural development was a determinant
factor to increase productivity, Africa will be no
exception! How will this be achieved at a volume that will
be compatible with a continental development of its
agriculture? This will have to be voiced very strongly to
hit people responsible for needed changes.
Securing markets
Mechanization using
the cassava production package has the capacity to triple
the cassava production, proven by multiple examples in the
last decade, however periodically when farmers manage to
increase their production, the existing market cannot absorb
this excess of production of cassava roots and regularly
prices are crashing, and farmers stop their effort. There
must be a co-development of the root processing and of the
productivity increase for having a successful cassava
transformation. This will presuppose coordination at a very
high level in each country. This will require coordination
of loans from the AfDB to the farming system to allow
concurrent structural development and industrial expansion!
How will this be done even if such loans were available?
Industrial development does not take place in part because
of the lacking of enough raw material (among other factors)
to run factories at full capacity all year round. This
factor is a key element for the development of a prosperous
industry using cassava. Processing and transportation costs
are other persistent factors that will need to be addressed
and finally market access of the products will also be a
very important issue!
Africa badly needs cassava
produced at 30 t/Ha to feed its growing population in the
coming decades. We do have varieties, technologies and
machines that will allow farmers to produce these 30 t/ha.
But it is time now to think about the integration of all the
necessary elements in the cassava production system and in
the supply chain in Africa. The purpose of this workshop is
to review all these elements to sensitize policy makers,
bankers and entrepreneurs to act in a coordinated manner.
AGENDA
Thursday 27 October:
10:00 am: Arrival of the participants
12:00 pm:
Lunch
1:00 pm: Welcoming of the participants - Dashiell,
Kenton DDG IITA
1:15 pm: Increasing cassava productivity
is key for Africa and the world - Claude Fauquet, GCP21 -
Presentation in PPT HERE
1:30
pm: Cassava Transformation Plan for Africa in the TAAT
Program - Abass Adebayo (IITA) -
Presentation in PPT HERE
1:45 pm: Point of view of
industry - Louw Burger (Flour Mills of Nigeria) -
Presentation in DOC HERE
2:00 pm:
Discussion - Godwin Atser (IITA)
Cassava Production Elements
2:15
pm: Achievements of the CAMAP project -
Presentation in PPT HERE
2:30 pm:
Conclusions of the Mechanization Workshop in Abeokuta, Ogun
State - Presentation in PPT HERE
2:45 pm: Discussion
3:00
pm: Coffee and Photograph
3:30 pm: Production and
Development Prospective -
Presentation in PPT HERE
3:45 pm: Weed Control -
Presentation in PPT HERE
4:00 pm:
Discussion
5:30 pm: Wrap up for the day
7:00 pm: Cocktails at I-house Terrace
Friday 28 October:
Cassava Production Elements (continued)
8:30 am:
Recall of the previous day - Claude Fauquet (GCP21)
8:45
am: High Yield Cassava Varieties for Targeted Products and
Prospects - Peter Kulakow (IITA) -
Presentation in PPT HERE
9:00 am: Strong Seed
System to Provide High Quality Performing Varieties - Hemant
Nitturkar (RTB) - Presentation in PPT HERE
9:15 am: Best Agronomic Practices for High Cassava Yield
- Jalloh Abdulai (IITA) -
Presentatin in PPT HERE
9:30
am: Discussion
Cassava Supply Chain Elements
9:45 am: Importance and role of effective Farmer
Cooperatives - Abu Umaru (AATF) -
Presentation in PPT HERE
10:00 am:
Cassava Value Chain Transformation - Marc Nelson (Context) -
Presentation in PPT HERE
10:15
am: Discussion
10:30
am: Coffee
11:00 am: Loans and financing prospects for farmers - Kurawa
Farouk (MARKETS II) - Presentation in PPT HERE
11:15 am: Commentators &
Q&A - Bankers
11:30 am: General Discussion
12:15 pm:
Wrap up - Claude Fauquet (GCP21)
12:30 pm: Lunch
PARTICIPANTS - List of Participants in PDF HERE