The impact of IITA’s 5-year collaboration with USAID and Shell Petroleum Development Company in the Cassava Enterprise Development Project (CEDP), from 2004 to 2009, continues to shine.
CEDP aimed to increase economic opportunities through agroenterprise development and the sustainable and competitive production and marketing of cassava in 11 States in the South-South and South-East zones of Nigeria. Within the 5-year period nearly 500,000 farmers were supported with IITA’s improved Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD)-resistant varieties; over US$51 million revenue was generated from gross sales of cassava products by enlisted participants; nearly 1000 processing enterprises were established; over 10 improved CMD- resistant varieties were developed and released; and more than 15,000 new jobs were created. Other outcomes included an increase in farmers’ cassava yields from 12 t/ha to 30 t/ha, a decline in CMD incidence, the training of over 21,000 farmers and processors, the development of cassava recipes, and technical support to the new Cassava Presidential Initiatives in Africa.
As a result of these successes, the Shell Partners Forum invited the IITA Cassava Value Chain Team to its 2014 “Road show and Exhibition” at the Nicon Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, on 29 October, to showcase the project’s achievements and also show recently developed technologies as part of efforts to explore possible areas for collaboration in 2015.
IITA displayed publications, posters, and products which included food items such as cakes, bread, and biscuits, and recipes with 100% cassava (chin-chin, doughnuts, cookies, egg rolls, and strips). Also showcased were IITA’s technologies including aflasafe, aeroponics, NoduMax, high quality yam flour, vitamin A cassava, plantain-based PITA wine, banana jam, plantain flour, and the activities of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs.
“…We expect that the event will open doors for further partnership with Shell and other multinational organizations that could be interested in promoting agriculture,” said Gbassey Tarawali, IITA Representative in Abuja of the DG and DDG-PCD. He added. “Our guests were amazed at the intensity of work going on in IITA. The visitors tasted the food products and they were surprised that such products and beverages of such good quality could come out of cassava, plantain, banana, and other crops…what remains is for IITA to follow up with relevant departments interested in continuing their partnership with IITA in 2015 and confirm possible areas of collaboration.”
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Gros, Head of Communication, a.gros@cgiar.org
About IITA, www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967 and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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