Building networks of smallholder cassava farmers around cassava processing industries: the CAVA experience 2019

Abstract

Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA) Project is a cassava value chain enhancement project implemented in five countries in Africa namely Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in USA. One of the C:AVA project interventions in Ghana is “Building networks of smallholder cassava farmers around cassava processing centers” to help increase fresh cassava roots production and onward processing into high value cassava products such as HQCF, IGCF, HQCC, starch, ethanol and wet cake. The lack of secure markets for the cassava farmers has always led to high surpluses in the cassava system. In order to overcome this challenge, it was considered necessary to organize farmers around processors who require their fresh cassava so that they are assured of a ready market. A participatory approach was used to implement the activity in Eastern, Central and Volta Regions. This report documents the implementation process, successes and challenges of the above stated C:AVA intervention. Using participatory approach has allowed key players in the industry namely; cassava farmers, processors, Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) and C:AVA staff to work together in a harmonious environment to achieve a common goal. This led to the formation of farmer groups in each location who were linked to the processing centers identified in each region. Working with the AEAs has provided the needed impetus for the farmers to receive access to improved cassava planting materials and training on best agronomic practices with backstopping from CAVA staff. In total, six (6) farmer groups consisting of at least twenty (20) farmers each, were organised to supply fresh cassava roots to the six (6) processing centers identified with a total FCR intake capacity of 548 tons/month. The network helped the farmers to increase cassava yield from an average of 12.4 tons/ha in 2016 to 38.2 tons/ha in 2018 representing a 208.1 % yield increase exceeding the 25% target of yield increase targeted in the project document. The benefit cost ratio of farmer groups identified increased significantly from 1.3 to 4.0 - which depicts a 207.7% increase. Some key lessons were learned during the implementation process included the following; It was observed that female cassava farmers were maintaining their cassava farms better than their male counterparts probably because the males had bigger farms. It was also realized that farmers who were more involved in decision making processes turned out to be more committed in fulfilling their shared obligations