Govt notes need for market access for cassava farmers

Government says there is need for more to be done to ensure market access for cassava farmers.

In a speech read on her behalf by ministry of agriculture permanent secretary, Julius Shawa during the 3rd Cassava world Africa meeting in Lusaka, Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya says cassava producing countries in Africa are yet to realize their full potential to access markets beyond the use of cassava as food.Siliya dora

Ms Siliya says Zambia has for several years registered a sustained surplus of about 35 percent representing over 389, 000 metric tons of cassava production without incentives, a situation she says calls for market access to be created.

And Ms. Siliya has revealed that Zambia has recently issued the first license to produce energy ethanol from cassava in an effort to outstrip the current excess of cassava in the country.

She says there is also interest by the mining industry to use cassava starch in processing and by the beverage industry as well.

Ms Siliya explains that the current excess of cassava is equivalent to about 156 million liters of ethanol which is less than the potential demand for transport fuel alone.

She has noted that an efficient cassava value chain will not only improve productivity, but will also make cassava products more competitive and ensure there is food security in the country.

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