The economic potentials of cassava derivatives make a strong case for rapid industrialization of the South-South and South-East, geared towards harnessing our God given agricultural resources
Take for instance, the derivative called Glucose Syrup. It is an important sweetener in the food, confectionery and pharmaceutical industries. It can be derived from the cassava crop which is farmed in many parts of Nigeria, from the middle belt region all the way to the South.
Currently, local production of the syrup cannot meet the demand, hence, the local requirement is being met through importation. This capital flight must stop!
Cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.
It is alleged that Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava. Yet this fact is yet to translate to increased foreign exchange earnings that should compete with oil and gas export.
I believe this is largely due to misplaced priorities of our leaders both on the state and federal level.
Consider the fact that cassava is the most important root crop in Nigeria. Apart from being a staple crop in both rural and urban household’s cassava is a major source of income to cassava farmers and processors in the rural areas.
Cassava alone contributes about 45% of agricultural GDP in Nigeria for food or domestic purposes but its industrial processing and utilization has been very limited.
Reports state that the country produces about 40,000,000 tons of the cassava tubers annually.
Although Nigeria’s cassava is being processed to local foods, its greater potential lies in its being processed to (intermediate) industrial products as to enable processors access higher value markets.
Glucose syrup is a thick aqueous solution made from the catalytic reaction of edible starch. Cassava starch, the major raw material is a product from cassava.
Glucose syrup production from cassava can be subdivided into the following process areas of liquefaction, saccharification, and purification. Glucose is produced commercially via the enzymatic process of Starch. Starch is produced from various raw materials like maize, cassava/tapioca roots, potatoes, wheat, rice etc. The establishment of a process for conversion of cassava starch to glucose syrup would enhance the local capability of glucose syrup production.
Let's keep in mind that Glucose Syrup is an important sweetener in the food, confectionery and pharmaceutical industries locally and internationally.
Currently, local production cannot meet the demand, hence, the local requirement is being met through importation.Annual demand for sugar in Nigeria is estimated at 3.5 million tonnes per annum but only 2.4 million tonnes is produced locally while an annual demand of 170,000 tons exists for high fructose syrup and 60,000 tons/year for glucose syrup indicating a large for glucose syrup in Nigeria.
Cassava is the third largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.It is one of the most drought tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.
Cassava is the most important root crop in Nigeria. Apart from being a staple crop in both rural and urban household’s cassava is a major source of income to cassava farmers and processors in the rural areas.
Currently, the country produces about 40,000,000 tons of the cassava tubers annually.
Annual demand for sugar in Nigeria is estimated at 3.5 million tonnes per annum but only 2.4 million tonnes is produced locally while an annual demand of 170,000 tons exists for high fructose syrup and 60,000 tons/year for glucose syrup indicating a large demand for glucose syrup in Nigeria.
These data should drive processing industrial revolution of cassava within the organized private sector in Nigeria and the Niger-Delta in particular.
Let's not forget that another important cassava derivative with profound economic importance to our country is ethanol. That's a subject for another day😃
ISON Nigeria Limited is in partnership with cassava processing plant manufacturers who are ready engineer and deploy state of the art units that will efficiently deliver on production and profitability.
Contact us by email : fidelis.onu@gmail.com
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By phone : +2348186943671
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