How to Start a Cassava Farming and Processing Business in Nigeria
How to Start a
Cassava Farming and
Processing Business in
Nigeria (A
Comprehensive Guide)
By Augustine Amaechi
- A single farming season
spent in cassava farming
and processing can hand
you the key to financial
freedom. Yes! Cultivating
and processing cassava is
simply a money-making
venture. In this post, I will
show you why you should
consider giving it a go and
how to start your very own
cassava farming and
processing business.
Background: Why cassava?
Here are some of the reasons
cassava has such a huge earning
potential for you as an
entrepreneur:
Cassava is an important
food crop in Nigeria
Cassava is the third most
consumed crop in Nigeria
( FAOSTAT). It is our most
important food crop by
production quantity while yam is
the most important food crop by
value. Cassava is an important
staple crop not only in Nigeria,
but in Africa as it has a high
potential of feeding rapidly
increasing population and is
generally more affordable if
compared to other staple foods.
Export potentials are
endless
Nigeria is the world’s largest
producer of cassava. However,
cassava produced in Nigeria goes
mainly to feed and food (on
average 45.6 percent and 45.7
percent respectively, while the
rest of it goes to waste
(FAOSTAT). This opens up a lot of
doors for you as an
entrepreneur especially in the
processing and export sector.
Countries like Thailand and
Indonesia lead the charts on
world cassava export.
Cassava is a multi-purpose
food crop
It has a lot of uses. The crop is
so valuable that no part of it is
thrown away. The roots serve
as food, the stem can be re-
planted to grow more cassava
while the leaves serve as
livestock feed. The products in
the value chain also serve as
industrial raw material. You can
focus on any of these or all of
them. Whichever one you choose,
cassava farming and processing
is agriculture and you can never
go wrong with agriculture.
Demand is high
The demand for cassava is high
both in local and international
markets, thereby making the
business of cassava farming and
processing very profitable. Due
to its wide range of use the
level of profitability of cassava
farming is second to no other
food crop. In fact, the demand of
cassava is clearly higher than
the supply. How much is a cup of
garri in your area now? Think
about it
How to start a cassava
farming and processing
business
To begin cassava farming and
processing, you will need to put
some things in place. The basic
requirements include: acquiring a
farmland, developing the
farmland to suit cassava
production, selecting the best
variety of cassava, and selecting
the best cassava stem cutting
to plant.
Before you get started, of
course, you will need to have a
good business feasibility plan and
raise capital for the business.
You can click on the links to get
detailed guides on how to do
those. We will focus on planting
and processing in this post.
1. ACQUIRING A FARMLAND
Cassava is a crop capable of
surviving drought. However, it
grows best on a flat or slightly
slope land composed of humus
soil which has capacity to retain
water. The land must be in an
area with an adequate amount
of rainfall. Some of the qualities
you should watch out for while
acquiring land for cassava
planting include:
the land must contain dense
vegetation,
check for the texture of the
soil, and
the land must be flat or
gently slope due to reduce
the tendency of erosion to
occur, washing away the soil’s
nutrient.
Read This: How to Start a
Professional Home Cleaning
Services Business with Little
Capital
Cassava Flour Processing
Line -
Cassava Flour Making
Machine
Specialized in Industrial
Cassava & Potato
Processing
Machinery Since 1991
cassavamachine.cn
A land which has thick
vegetation is likely to favor the
cultivation of cassava, drastically
increasing the yield. The dense
vegetation serves as covering
for the soil, reducing the rate of
water loss from the soil and
improving the organic content of
the soil when leaves fall and
decay.
For best yield of cassava, you
should make sure that the land
acquired is mostly loamy soil.
Sandy or clay soils do not
support proper growth of
cassava. Also, deep loamy soil is
more easily tilled, contain less
gravels, and more nutrient that
the cassava plant will need.
DEVELOP THE FARMLAND TO
SUIT CASSAVA PRODUCTION
A land with good soil favors the
quick growth of cassava. Plants
grown on such land usually have
high resistance to pests and
diseases. However, if you are not
so fortunate to get a fertile
land to cultivate cassava all hope
is not lost.
There are some agricultural
practices you can carry out on a
less suitable land to improve its
suitability for cassava
production. They include:
APPLICATION OF MANURE
The fertility of the soil could be
greatly increased by adding
manure to the land. You could
apply green manure in the form
of dead plants or plant crop
such as beans, groundnut, and
the like. Work green materials
into the soil while ploughing your
land to improve the soil’s
texture, nutrient and water
retention capacity. Animal wastes
are also good source of organic
manure.
INTER-CROPPING CASSAVA
WITH OTHER PLANTS
Legumes are excellent source of
soil nutrients. Their falling leaves
rot in the ground, improving the
soil’s characteristics. Inter-
cropping cassava alongside crops
like melon, cowpea, maize, rice,
and legumes improves the soil’s
nutrient.
MULCHING THE FARMLAND
Mulching involves covering the
surface of the farmland with lots
of dead foliage (dead mulch).
Examples of materials you can
use as dead foliage are: rice
husk, coffee hull, and foliage
from leguminous crops.
If you have to cultivate cassava
on a steep sloped land, then
planting cassava varieties with
quick and low-growing leafves
will be helpful. The low leafs make
a good covering for the ground
and reduce the chances of
erosion. Furthermore, you could
also build ridges along the slope
to prevent erosion and hold
more water.
SELECTING THE BEST VARIETY
OF CASSAVA
To ensure maximum yield, it is
important to select the best
variety of cassava. This will also
go a long way to increase your
plants’ immunity against disease,
rapid growth, and increase their
soil quality. Some qualities to
check for while selecting the
best variety include:
Look for varieties that have a
lot of dry matter and are
good for food.
Select varieties that bulk
(swell) quickly in the ground,
producing large quantities of
food.
Look for variety with good
ground storability. A good
variety of cassava matures in
about 8-9 months. However
the can be left (stored) in the
ground for up to 18 months
before harvest.
Look for a variety with high
resistance against pests and
diseases.
SELECT HEALTHY CASSAVA
STEM CUTTINGS
After locating the best variety
of cassava, the next step is to
select healthy cassava stem
cuttings for planting. This is
important to ensure the
production of good and
marketable cassava crops. The
following are qualities to look out
for when selecting healthy
cassava stem cuttings:
Healthy cassava have strong
stems and branches with
fresh leaves.
Avoid selecting stem from
plants that have been
damaged by pests and
diseases.
Cut cassava stem of length
20-25cm and select those
that have at least 5-8 nodes.
Read This: Cucumber
Farming: How to Start a
Lucrative Cucumber Growing
Business in Nigeria
You can buy cassava stems from
local farms and market for your
first planting. However it is more
beneficial to get the stem from
your own farm for next planting.
PLANTING YOUR CASSAVA
After tilling the land with either
manual or mechanical labor, you
can start planting your cassava
stems. Plant the stems with
about two-third of the total
length buried in the ground.
Cassava farming requires water;
it is best for you to start
planting early (usually
immediately the rains begin) to
ensure rapid growth and
maximum yield. With proper
preparation and planting, 1
hectre of land can produce
about 12-15 tons of cassava
(depending on the variety).
After planting, constant weeding
is required to rid the farm from
weed that competes for nutrient
with the cassava plant. Remains
of leguminous plants should also
be left or tilled into the ground
to improve soil nutrients.
Weeding is usually done two
week after planting. To further
enhance the growth and overall
yield of your farm, you will need
to apply fertilizers.
CASSAVA PROCESSING
Cassava is a multipurpose food
crop with a wide range of uses.
Apart from using its root as food
and leaves for soup or animal
feed, it can be processed into
various goods including: garri,
cassava flour, cassava bread,
caramel, etc. Cassava is also an
important industrial raw material
which can be processed to
produce ethanol, paper (taking
advantage of the high starch
content), bio-fuels and
pharmaceuticals.
The image below, courtesy of
agriknowledge.org, captures the
stages of cassava value chain
from the producer to the
buyers.
CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED
WITH CASSAVA FARMING
BUSINESS
The major challenge
associated with cassava
farming is finance. You will
require capital to purchase
land, acquire farming and
processing machinery, cost of
labor, etc. However you could
source finance for this
business from loans. This
article details some available
loans and grants for farmers
in Nigeria
. You should check it out.
Another challenge that may
surface is finding the good
variety of cassava stem to
plant. However following the
guidelines for selecting healthy
cassava stems described in
this article will help you in
that aspect. Improved
varieties can also be gotten
from agricultural research
centers.
Cassava farming and processing
is still very much lucrative and
highly profitable. There is not a
single problem of unsold goods;
there is an ever present market.
You could invest in cassava
production now and smile to the
bank 9 months from now.
Do you know anyone who could
benefit from reading this post?
Why not share it on social media
using the buttons below
Cassava Farming and
Processing Business in
Nigeria (A
Comprehensive Guide)
By Augustine Amaechi
- A single farming season
spent in cassava farming
and processing can hand
you the key to financial
freedom. Yes! Cultivating
and processing cassava is
simply a money-making
venture. In this post, I will
show you why you should
consider giving it a go and
how to start your very own
cassava farming and
processing business.
Background: Why cassava?
Here are some of the reasons
cassava has such a huge earning
potential for you as an
entrepreneur:
Cassava is an important
food crop in Nigeria
Cassava is the third most
consumed crop in Nigeria
( FAOSTAT). It is our most
important food crop by
production quantity while yam is
the most important food crop by
value. Cassava is an important
staple crop not only in Nigeria,
but in Africa as it has a high
potential of feeding rapidly
increasing population and is
generally more affordable if
compared to other staple foods.
Export potentials are
endless
Nigeria is the world’s largest
producer of cassava. However,
cassava produced in Nigeria goes
mainly to feed and food (on
average 45.6 percent and 45.7
percent respectively, while the
rest of it goes to waste
(FAOSTAT). This opens up a lot of
doors for you as an
entrepreneur especially in the
processing and export sector.
Countries like Thailand and
Indonesia lead the charts on
world cassava export.
Cassava is a multi-purpose
food crop
It has a lot of uses. The crop is
so valuable that no part of it is
thrown away. The roots serve
as food, the stem can be re-
planted to grow more cassava
while the leaves serve as
livestock feed. The products in
the value chain also serve as
industrial raw material. You can
focus on any of these or all of
them. Whichever one you choose,
cassava farming and processing
is agriculture and you can never
go wrong with agriculture.
Demand is high
The demand for cassava is high
both in local and international
markets, thereby making the
business of cassava farming and
processing very profitable. Due
to its wide range of use the
level of profitability of cassava
farming is second to no other
food crop. In fact, the demand of
cassava is clearly higher than
the supply. How much is a cup of
garri in your area now? Think
about it
How to start a cassava
farming and processing
business
To begin cassava farming and
processing, you will need to put
some things in place. The basic
requirements include: acquiring a
farmland, developing the
farmland to suit cassava
production, selecting the best
variety of cassava, and selecting
the best cassava stem cutting
to plant.
Before you get started, of
course, you will need to have a
good business feasibility plan and
raise capital for the business.
You can click on the links to get
detailed guides on how to do
those. We will focus on planting
and processing in this post.
1. ACQUIRING A FARMLAND
Cassava is a crop capable of
surviving drought. However, it
grows best on a flat or slightly
slope land composed of humus
soil which has capacity to retain
water. The land must be in an
area with an adequate amount
of rainfall. Some of the qualities
you should watch out for while
acquiring land for cassava
planting include:
the land must contain dense
vegetation,
check for the texture of the
soil, and
the land must be flat or
gently slope due to reduce
the tendency of erosion to
occur, washing away the soil’s
nutrient.
Read This: How to Start a
Professional Home Cleaning
Services Business with Little
Capital
Cassava Flour Processing
Line -
Cassava Flour Making
Machine
Specialized in Industrial
Cassava & Potato
Processing
Machinery Since 1991
cassavamachine.cn
A land which has thick
vegetation is likely to favor the
cultivation of cassava, drastically
increasing the yield. The dense
vegetation serves as covering
for the soil, reducing the rate of
water loss from the soil and
improving the organic content of
the soil when leaves fall and
decay.
For best yield of cassava, you
should make sure that the land
acquired is mostly loamy soil.
Sandy or clay soils do not
support proper growth of
cassava. Also, deep loamy soil is
more easily tilled, contain less
gravels, and more nutrient that
the cassava plant will need.
DEVELOP THE FARMLAND TO
SUIT CASSAVA PRODUCTION
A land with good soil favors the
quick growth of cassava. Plants
grown on such land usually have
high resistance to pests and
diseases. However, if you are not
so fortunate to get a fertile
land to cultivate cassava all hope
is not lost.
There are some agricultural
practices you can carry out on a
less suitable land to improve its
suitability for cassava
production. They include:
APPLICATION OF MANURE
The fertility of the soil could be
greatly increased by adding
manure to the land. You could
apply green manure in the form
of dead plants or plant crop
such as beans, groundnut, and
the like. Work green materials
into the soil while ploughing your
land to improve the soil’s
texture, nutrient and water
retention capacity. Animal wastes
are also good source of organic
manure.
INTER-CROPPING CASSAVA
WITH OTHER PLANTS
Legumes are excellent source of
soil nutrients. Their falling leaves
rot in the ground, improving the
soil’s characteristics. Inter-
cropping cassava alongside crops
like melon, cowpea, maize, rice,
and legumes improves the soil’s
nutrient.
MULCHING THE FARMLAND
Mulching involves covering the
surface of the farmland with lots
of dead foliage (dead mulch).
Examples of materials you can
use as dead foliage are: rice
husk, coffee hull, and foliage
from leguminous crops.
If you have to cultivate cassava
on a steep sloped land, then
planting cassava varieties with
quick and low-growing leafves
will be helpful. The low leafs make
a good covering for the ground
and reduce the chances of
erosion. Furthermore, you could
also build ridges along the slope
to prevent erosion and hold
more water.
SELECTING THE BEST VARIETY
OF CASSAVA
To ensure maximum yield, it is
important to select the best
variety of cassava. This will also
go a long way to increase your
plants’ immunity against disease,
rapid growth, and increase their
soil quality. Some qualities to
check for while selecting the
best variety include:
Look for varieties that have a
lot of dry matter and are
good for food.
Select varieties that bulk
(swell) quickly in the ground,
producing large quantities of
food.
Look for variety with good
ground storability. A good
variety of cassava matures in
about 8-9 months. However
the can be left (stored) in the
ground for up to 18 months
before harvest.
Look for a variety with high
resistance against pests and
diseases.
SELECT HEALTHY CASSAVA
STEM CUTTINGS
After locating the best variety
of cassava, the next step is to
select healthy cassava stem
cuttings for planting. This is
important to ensure the
production of good and
marketable cassava crops. The
following are qualities to look out
for when selecting healthy
cassava stem cuttings:
Healthy cassava have strong
stems and branches with
fresh leaves.
Avoid selecting stem from
plants that have been
damaged by pests and
diseases.
Cut cassava stem of length
20-25cm and select those
that have at least 5-8 nodes.
Read This: Cucumber
Farming: How to Start a
Lucrative Cucumber Growing
Business in Nigeria
You can buy cassava stems from
local farms and market for your
first planting. However it is more
beneficial to get the stem from
your own farm for next planting.
PLANTING YOUR CASSAVA
After tilling the land with either
manual or mechanical labor, you
can start planting your cassava
stems. Plant the stems with
about two-third of the total
length buried in the ground.
Cassava farming requires water;
it is best for you to start
planting early (usually
immediately the rains begin) to
ensure rapid growth and
maximum yield. With proper
preparation and planting, 1
hectre of land can produce
about 12-15 tons of cassava
(depending on the variety).
After planting, constant weeding
is required to rid the farm from
weed that competes for nutrient
with the cassava plant. Remains
of leguminous plants should also
be left or tilled into the ground
to improve soil nutrients.
Weeding is usually done two
week after planting. To further
enhance the growth and overall
yield of your farm, you will need
to apply fertilizers.
CASSAVA PROCESSING
Cassava is a multipurpose food
crop with a wide range of uses.
Apart from using its root as food
and leaves for soup or animal
feed, it can be processed into
various goods including: garri,
cassava flour, cassava bread,
caramel, etc. Cassava is also an
important industrial raw material
which can be processed to
produce ethanol, paper (taking
advantage of the high starch
content), bio-fuels and
pharmaceuticals.
The image below, courtesy of
agriknowledge.org, captures the
stages of cassava value chain
from the producer to the
buyers.
CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED
WITH CASSAVA FARMING
BUSINESS
The major challenge
associated with cassava
farming is finance. You will
require capital to purchase
land, acquire farming and
processing machinery, cost of
labor, etc. However you could
source finance for this
business from loans. This
article details some available
loans and grants for farmers
in Nigeria
. You should check it out.
Another challenge that may
surface is finding the good
variety of cassava stem to
plant. However following the
guidelines for selecting healthy
cassava stems described in
this article will help you in
that aspect. Improved
varieties can also be gotten
from agricultural research
centers.
Cassava farming and processing
is still very much lucrative and
highly profitable. There is not a
single problem of unsold goods;
there is an ever present market.
You could invest in cassava
production now and smile to the
bank 9 months from now.
Do you know anyone who could
benefit from reading this post?
Why not share it on social media
using the buttons below
About the
Author
Augustine Amaechi is an unrepentant Entrepreneur, a
Television Host and a seasoned preacher. He started this blog to help aspiring entrepreneur
with relevant information on Entrepreneurship.
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