IDH/ Grow Africa to support Industrial Cassava Value: development of Nigeria Cassava Platform

IDH/ Grow Africa to support Industrial Cassava Value: development of Nigeria Cassava Platform

The Sustainable Trade Initiative and Grow Africa of the World Economic organized a workshop recently in Nairobi, Kenya with a theme 'Industrial Cassava Value chain: Partnership for Action'.  The programme is aimed at promoting the industrial value chain for cassava through support to farmer producers via the industries that use the commodity. 

The Programme is to be piloted in three African countries of Mozambique, Ghana and Nigeria. Priority issues on the table for Nigeria include:

•           Market information on demand for end products is missing; there are price variations across geographical regions and seasons.

•           Improved and high quality planting materials and development of cassava seed sector

•           Extension services and capacity building for farmers

•           Service provision and input delivery mechanism

•           Setting up of standards for waste management

A follow-up inaugural meeting of the nucleus team was held in Lagos on the 25th February 2015 which launched the Nigeria National Cassava Platform. The front runners of the Nigeria platform comprise of the following:

1. FMARD.                              

2. NRCRI

3. Niji Foods Group

4. Eagleson & Nito Concepts

5. Solidaridad

6. Honeywell Flour Mill

7. Allied Atlantic Distilleries

8. C:AVA, (Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation)

9. Psaltery International

10. Tak Agro

 11. Nigeria Cassava Growers Association

12. Notore

13. Syngenta

14. Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, (AGRA).

15. HarvestPlus

17. Federal Institute of Industrial Research , Oshhodi, (FIIRO).

18. Standard Organization of  Nigeria, (SON)

19. National Agency for Food Drug and Administration, (NAFDAC).

20. MATNA Foods

21. DADTCO

The expanded meeting is slated for 22nd April 2015.