Cassava is currently the fourth most important food crop in the world after maize, wheat and rice.
The crop is grown on over 24 million hectares in 105 countries in the world and the global production is done by an estimated six million very smallholders in the world.
Report has it that Africa has the lowest cassava productivity, producing about 8 ½ tonnes per hectare, Asia 22 tonnes per hectare and India 42 tonnes per hectare.
Currently, Nigeria has about 4.5 million farmers engaged in cassava farming and takes a lead in the global cassava production with over 50 million tons annually.
However, experts in the cassava value chain have advocated the need for the African continent to find the solution to the low yield been produced as that cannot sustain food security in the country.Read more