Cassava myths and half-truths – how they hinder the potential of the crop in Africa

1 April 2010

False notions about cassava in many African countries prevent the realization of the crop’s full potential in poverty reduction, food security, and industry. Some of these beliefs and perceptions, which have been ingrained in the culture of many African farmers for so long, need to be addressed and changed if growers and the sector are to progress.

Myth #1: Cassava is a poor man’s crop.

This is one of the most prevalent, albeit false, notions about cassava. According to Anneke Fermont, an IITA researcher based in Ug anda, “our research in eastern and central Ug anda and western Kenya showed that cassava is grown, consumed and marketed by both well-to-do and poor farmers alike”

Cassava is an important food security crop that provides about a third of the starchy staple food consumed in many African countries. It is also an important cash crop, generating nearly as much income as the higher-valued maize.

Myth #2: Cassava does not require much labor.

Contrary to popular belief, growing cassava does require a degree of labor especialy in field maintenance. IITA’s research shows that, for example, cassava’s labor requirements for weeding are much higher than for most other food crops. It is only that many farmers tend to weed their cereal and legumes first and cassava last.

“The crop will therefore develop slower and is not able to compete with the weeds.” explains Anneke Fermont “This forces farmers to weed their cassava fields as many as five times”.

Myth #2: Since cassava could grow on poor soils, it does not need fertilizer.

This is untrue, Anneke says. This myth stems from the fact that cassava is a hardy crop that could survive in poor soils and still give a decent yield.

However, she explains that fertilization studies show that farmers plant cassava on all soil types and, like any other crop, it responds well to manure and fertilizer application. The crop’s tolerance of poor soils does not mean that it would not benefit from the added nutrients provided by fertilizers.

As a result of these myths, most efforts by governments and other stakholders have been geared towards promoting cassava mainly as a food security crop and less as a cash crop. However, following its success as a cash crop in Asia, its potential as a cash crop is now slowly being realized in Africa.

These misperceptions also contribute to the low levels of cassava yield in the continent. A related two-year study carried out by Anneke and her team found that the average yield of farmers was 6.8 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) in western Kenya and 10.6 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) in Ug anda. This was very low compared to its potential yield of over 50 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) under proper cultural management.

With such low yields, East African farmers would not be able to support industries that use cassava as raw material.

However, when farmers follow modern crop management practices, use improved cassava varieties, and apply fertilizers, their yields could more than double to 19.7 t/ha and 23.5 t/ha in western Kenya and Ug anda, respectively, as results of IITA field trials have shown.

“This shows the tremendous cash-crop potential of cassava,” says Anneke. “Putting in place measures to increase yields such as good agronomic practices and access to improved varieties and agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and manure, and attracting industrial investors can have a significant impact on the livelihoods of millions of cassava farmers in East Africa. However, the attitude and perception towards the crop must first change.”

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For more information, please contact:

Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (East Africa)
IITA-Tanzania

Jeffrey T Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA – Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria

URL: www.iita.org

About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.