Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project

Cassava has long been expected to play a key role in rural economic growth in Africa, but are we there yet? Although research partnerships have produced elite cassava varieties with 50% more yielding potential and demonstrated technologies to boost processing and marketing of cassava, the sub-sector...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: James, B., Bramel-Cox, P.J., Witte, E.R., Asiedu, Robert, Watson, D., Okechukwu, R.U.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2011
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/88171
_version_ 1855534384258482176
author James, B.
Bramel-Cox, P.J.
Witte, E.R.
Asiedu, Robert
Watson, D.
Okechukwu, R.U.
author_browse Asiedu, Robert
Bramel-Cox, P.J.
James, B.
Okechukwu, R.U.
Watson, D.
Witte, E.R.
author_facet James, B.
Bramel-Cox, P.J.
Witte, E.R.
Asiedu, Robert
Watson, D.
Okechukwu, R.U.
author_sort James, B.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Cassava has long been expected to play a key role in rural economic growth in Africa, but are we there yet? Although research partnerships have produced elite cassava varieties with 50% more yielding potential and demonstrated technologies to boost processing and marketing of cassava, the sub-sector is constrained by low productivity and marketing difficulties. In DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi and Sierra Leone, for example, cassava value chain actors are yet to respond to 2007 estimated $59 million trade opportunities through substitution of imported wheat flour with locally produced high quality cassava flour. Industrial pull for cassava would also aggravate hunger and poverty if yields do not increase from current national averages of 5 to 19t/ha to more than 25t/ha expected of released varieties under low input agriculture. In 2008, USAID and IITA initiated the project “Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Response to Food Price Crisis (UPOCA) as a multi-country and inter-institutional partnership enabling cassava sub-sectors to realize their full potential in rural economies. UPoCA project covers DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. UPoCA project draws on prior research results to increase on-farm cassava productivity and value adding processing for markets. By end 2009, small holder beneficiaries associated with 55 partner organizations and 11 agricultural related firms established 306 community cassava stem multiplication sites and root production farms totalling 10,097ha with 58 improved varieties. Through experiential learning at 24 hands-on short-term courses, 345 men and 142 women learnt improved techniques in cassava production, processing, product development, and packaging/labelling and 8 technologies were introduced to rural communities. Seven other papers in this symposium, based on these evolving UPoCA achievements, show that a longer-term cassava research for development partnership platform of this nature will enable cassava sub-sectors to contribute significantly to rural economic growth in Africa.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace88171
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2011
publishDateRange 2011
publishDateSort 2011
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace881712023-06-12T19:44:30Z Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project James, B. Bramel-Cox, P.J. Witte, E.R. Asiedu, Robert Watson, D. Okechukwu, R.U. cassava productivity income foods Cassava has long been expected to play a key role in rural economic growth in Africa, but are we there yet? Although research partnerships have produced elite cassava varieties with 50% more yielding potential and demonstrated technologies to boost processing and marketing of cassava, the sub-sector is constrained by low productivity and marketing difficulties. In DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi and Sierra Leone, for example, cassava value chain actors are yet to respond to 2007 estimated $59 million trade opportunities through substitution of imported wheat flour with locally produced high quality cassava flour. Industrial pull for cassava would also aggravate hunger and poverty if yields do not increase from current national averages of 5 to 19t/ha to more than 25t/ha expected of released varieties under low input agriculture. In 2008, USAID and IITA initiated the project “Unleashing the Power of Cassava in Response to Food Price Crisis (UPOCA) as a multi-country and inter-institutional partnership enabling cassava sub-sectors to realize their full potential in rural economies. UPoCA project covers DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. UPoCA project draws on prior research results to increase on-farm cassava productivity and value adding processing for markets. By end 2009, small holder beneficiaries associated with 55 partner organizations and 11 agricultural related firms established 306 community cassava stem multiplication sites and root production farms totalling 10,097ha with 58 improved varieties. Through experiential learning at 24 hands-on short-term courses, 345 men and 142 women learnt improved techniques in cassava production, processing, product development, and packaging/labelling and 8 technologies were introduced to rural communities. Seven other papers in this symposium, based on these evolving UPoCA achievements, show that a longer-term cassava research for development partnership platform of this nature will enable cassava sub-sectors to contribute significantly to rural economic growth in Africa. 2011 2017-10-05T07:42:45Z 2017-10-05T07:42:45Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/88171 en Limited Access James, B., Bramel, P., Witte, E. R., Asiedu, R., Watson, D. & Okechukwu, R. (2013). Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project. AJRTC, (9)1, 38-49.
spellingShingle cassava
productivity
income
foods
James, B.
Bramel-Cox, P.J.
Witte, E.R.
Asiedu, Robert
Watson, D.
Okechukwu, R.U.
Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title_full Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title_fullStr Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title_full_unstemmed Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title_short Expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through UPoCA project
title_sort expanding the application of cassava value chain technologies through upoca project
topic cassava
productivity
income
foods
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/88171
work_keys_str_mv AT jamesb expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject
AT bramelcoxpj expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject
AT witteer expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject
AT asiedurobert expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject
AT watsond expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject
AT okechukwuru expandingtheapplicationofcassavavaluechaintechnologiesthroughupocaproject