by Abdallah el-Kurebe (Vanguard) … Ethanol is also produced from cassava and is used as fuel, alcoholic beverages, perfumes, cosmetics, medicaments, etc. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava but the nation’s annual local demand for ethanol is between 300 and 400 million litres.
The country only meets up with three percent of total annual demand. The balance of 97% is presently met through importation, requiring a whooping N160 billion – an expenses that must be curtailed.
Bridging the importation gap Funded by the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKAID), the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) came up with the Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-Processing (CAMAP) project. This brings cassava cluster farmers as producers and processors, who are up-takers, together. Aimed at encouraging mechanisation thereby growing beyond subsistence, the cassava farmers are provided with farm inputs including fertilisers, insecticides, implement as well as taught best practices, under the project.
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AATF’s Communication and Partnership officer, Abu Umaru said that “CAMAP initially targeted 3.5 million farmers in five years but the project is so accepted by farmers that the number may be surpassed.
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The Allied Atlantic Distilleries Ltd (AADL) is the first and largest cassava-based ethanol producing plant in Africa and located at Igbesa in Ogun state.
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Abdulrazaq Alghazali is the leader of a cluster group of 15 youths that is cultivating a 40-hectare cassava farm at Igunrin village of Iseyin local government of Oyo state. He said that AATF’s introduction of agricultural mechanisation for smallholder farmers has enhanced the production of cassava beyond subsistence. “With AATF now, land clearing, planting, spraying and harvesting are done mechanically. For this 40-hectare farmland, AATF provided us with a tractor, plough, planter, sprayer as well as training us to use the tools,” he said.
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Among the challenges faced by, especially AADL are poor roads network and electricity supply. READ MORE
