DODOMA: THE government has outlined measures it is instituting as part of its efforts to turn cassava into a strategic crop, capable of contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth.
Among the measures outlined include the use of improved cassava seedlings developed by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) that are capable of producing between 20 and 50 tonnes per acre.
Responding to the question posed by Nanyumbu legislator Ally Mhata (CCM), Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr David Silinde said the seedlings developed by TARI are available at all its centres and other seed breeders.
According to the deputy minister, cassava seedlings developed by TARI have proved to be producing high yields per acre, rich in starch content, resistant to diseases, drought and pests.
According to Mr Silinde, the use of improved seedlings enabled the production of dry cassava to increase from 2,486,000 tonnes in 2020/2021 farming season to 2,575,453 tonnes in 2022/2023 farming season.
According to the deputy minister, Mtwara Region where Mr Mhata comes from is ranked fifth in terms of cassava production. Tanga Region is ranked first followed by Kigoma, Coast and Kagera regions.
The deputy minister said the government has prepared the National Cassava Development Strategy (NCDS) 2020- 2030 that promotes the farming of the crop, availability of reliable markets, and establishment of processing industries, including those that can produce products from cassava.
Mr Silinde said the ministry plans to hold Cassava Business Forum on April 15, 2024, a platform that will attract a good number of stakeholders.
During the forum, stakeholders will discuss opportunities available in the southern regions. Cassava is the third most important staple food crop in Tanzania after maize and rice.
About 1.9 million stakeholders are involved in cassava production and/or other businesses along the entire cassava value chain.
Although there are great opportunities for cassava commercialisation in the country, they are hindered by fluctuating annual fresh cassava production and productivity which have been ranging from four to eight million tonnes per hectare.
The average annual productivity ranges from 3.5 tonnes per hectare to 8.5 tonnes per hectare. Factors contributing to such low production and productivity include low application of improved technologies along the value chain.
Other factors are infestation of pests and diseases; unreliable rainfall due to climatic changes; low levels of investment into cassava sub-sector; inadequate markets and limited market information amongst stakeholders.
In addition, there is limited diversification and expansion of cassava utilisation into new growth markets which is an opportunity for increasing production, processing and supply system.
Inadequate coordination has also negatively impacted the performance of the cassava subsector. Despite these narrated challenges, cassava has great potential in terms of food and nutrition security, income generation and provision of industrial raw materials.
Experts say there are still untapped or dormant markets in the country which can use cassava products in textile, breweries, pharmaceuticals and animal feed industries, biscuit factories, bioethanol and other food and nonfood cassava-based products.
The potential and possibility of utilising cassava as a food and nutrition security and incomegenerating crop has prompted the government, non- governmental organisations and private sector to promote it.
Similar to other crops, cassava has strong linkages with non-farm sectors through agroprocessing, transportation, urban markets and export trade.
Therefore, the National Cassava Development Strategy provides strategic interventions that focus on increasing current production by three folds in line with product quality improvement that responds to the growing demand.
The key expected outcomes from this strategy will include increased production and productivity; increased adoption of improved technologies along the cassava value chain; improved cassava marketing and related infrastructures; employment creation and overall economic growth.
