Cassava Farming and Glucose Syrup Production in Nigeria

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

Or

By phone : +2348186943671

CASSAVA PROCESSING, THE UNDERDEVELOPED PANACEA TO NIGERIA'S AILING ECONOMY

Did you know that Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world; thrice more than Brazil’s production and almost double the production of Indonesia and Thailand?

Even cassava production in other African countries, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda, appears small in comparison to Nigeria’s substantial output.

Despite being the world’s largest cassava producer, it is a big shame that Nigeria still spends a whopping N2 trillion in foreign exchange to import products that can be derived from cassava. Cassava byproducts still being imported into Nigeria include ethanol, industrial starch, glucose syrup, bread flour, sweetener, etc. Incidentally, these products are said to be raw materials to numerous utility items with limitless domestic and export market potential.

This is to say that cassava project can trigger massive industrial revolution across Nigeria. It can fully engage millions of farmers, skilled and unskilled factory workers, according to Nigeria Cassava Growers Association of Nigeria (NCGAN).

For instance, Nigeria spends N500 billion to import ethanol and over N400 billion to import industrial starch, which could be processed and sourced locally. Stakeholders have argued that this level of import could pose great threat to economic diversification of the Federal Government.

It is  learnt that cassava farmers are facing challenges of glut as most of their produce are rotting away due to their inability to get off-takers for their product and lack of processing facilities to process the commodity into domestic and industrial products.

Prices seem to be crashing due to a glut of cassava produce in most South Western parts of Nigeria.

On farmers’ plight (the three yearly glut circle), the cost of producing a tonne is about N14,000. Harvesting and loading of a tonne is charged between N3,000 and N4,000 while transportation to the factory costs between N5,000 and N8,000 depending on the distance of the factory site.

The above implies that rather than making profit, the loss of the farmer is around N8,000 from every tonne of cassava sold at N17,000. Most farmers usually leave their cassava to rot because the cost of harvesting and delivery surpasses the value of the cassava. This is the plight of cassava farmers because of the (three-four) yearly glut circle. During the years of scarcity, farmers rush to cultivate and that leads to glut in the year that follows.

Nigeria is still not having industrial cassava, which is regarded as a money-spinner in the international market.

The solution to the predicament of cassava farmers and indeed, revitalisation of Nigeria’s economy with cassava, is not farfetched, though there is need for establishment for cassava processing facilities across Nigeria.

It is noteworthy that industrial cassava products could generate over N15 trillion, which is double what oil can generate, if government devotes five million hectares of the 82 arable land to the production of additional cassava and establish adequate processing facilities to off-take cassava.

It is estimated  that if 20 units of 250 metric tonnes capacity cassava flour mills are provided from the fund, and if the Bank of Industry (BoI) releases fund meant for already existing cassava processing factories, Nigeria  could  have 7,000 metric tonnes daily additional market for our cassava.

It was also revealed that N1.2 billion deposited with BoI for cottage cassava industries, which was meant to create market for cassava since 2009 has not been disbursed.

This is a very counterproductive trend that proactive governments need to check and an opportunity for the organized private sector to leverage on.

ADVANTAGES OF SMALL SCALE FOOD PROCESSING

Small scale food processing is the future of Delta State's economy for a host if reasons.

Here are some advantages of small-scale food processing compared to other income-generating activities

From an entrepreneur’s perspective:

• Many types of food processing are readily accessible because people are familiar with the food that they grow and eat and, compared with some other types of business, there are fewer aspects to learn when getting started.

• The crops or animals that are the raw materials for processing are often readily available and sometimes in excess.

• If chosen correctly, processed foods can have a high demand and offer the opportunity to generate good profits by adding value to raw materials.

WHY GO INTO WASTE TIRE PYROLYSIS BUSINESS?

For one thing, it's viable because of the multiple marketable products it offers.$$$

For another,  it's sustainable. Waste tires are always available and can be put to better use other than for meting out jungle justice on criminals 😈😈

Our partner's waste tire recycling project adopts pyrolysis technology that breaks down the larger molecules into smaller molecules in presence of heat.

Waste tire recycling project obtains the final products as follows: 45%-55% fuel oil, 10%-15% steel wire, 30%-35% carbon black and 8%-10% flammable gas. It is 100% recycling project, not only a profitable business, but also helpful for improving the local environment, avoid garbage pollution.

For further details on procurement and preparation of a bankable business plan, contact me.

Email : fidelis.onu@gmail.com