Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also known in some African countries as tapioca, mandioca, yuca or umdumbulu, was domesticated mainly on the south-western rim of the Amazon in South America. In the 16th century, when trade between Brazil and Africa began, Portuguese traders brought the crop to the Congo Basin. Two centuries later, it was introduced independently to East Africa and Madagascar.
Cassava is a root tuber similar to the sweet potato. It is drought-tolerant, grows in poor soil conditions, and requires little to no fertiliser. Cassava has been transformed from a 'poor man's crop' into a lucrative industrial crop, and is now processed into products such as starch, flour and glucose.
For processors, its key attributes are that it contains 70% starch by dry weight and is high in carbohydrates, making it an excellent crop for ethanol for industrial use and feeds for livestock. It is also used in medicine, adhesives and the paper industry.
Smallholder farmers in Africa cultivate and prepare cassava using conventional techniques such as planting cuttings vertically, planting freshly cut cuttings, and using intercropping during the crop's early growth stages with maize, beans and spinach.
The crop is grown and sold largely by resource-constrained farmers in their communities, where it provides much-needed income and employment.
Nigeria is the world's largest cassava producer (see table). While African countries are reported to have contributed 61% of global cassava production in 2018, South Africa is a major importer of cassava starch.
CASSAVA IN SOUTH AFRICA
Denne historien er fra Farmer's Weekly 18 November 2022-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra Farmer's Weekly 18 November 2022-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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