The “Making Agricultural Innovations Work for Smallholder Farmers Affected by HIV/AIDS” – or MIRACLE – a project funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and implemented by IITA has commissioned four small-scale cassava processing centers in Luapula Province in the northern part of Zambia. The symbolic commissioning of the centers was held on 21 February at the Sencil General Suppliers in Mibenge Agricultural Camp, one of the four established under the project. The other three processing centers are located at the Kale Agricultural Camp, Mansa Resettlement Scheme, and Mabumba Agricultural Camp.
Luapula Province is known as Zambia’s main cassava-producing area and supplies the root crop to the rest of the country and even exports to the neighboring country of DR Congo.
According to Melba Davis-Mussagy, MIRACLE Project Manager, the processing centers service farmers within a 7-km radius. The project also supplied farmers with planting materials of improved cassava varieties to ensure the steady flow of raw materials to the centers.
“In these communities, farmers usually walk an average of 15 to 20 km to bring their cassava roots to existing hammer mills. We have strategically located these processing centers so that our project beneficiaries will not need to travel long distances to have their cassava roots processed,” Mussagy said.
The centers are equipped with a hammer mill, grating machine, chipping machine, and hydraulic press. They will be producing cassava chips, high-quality cassava flour (HQCF), and cassava meal.
At full production capacity, each center can produce 3 tons of cassava flour or 4 tons of cassava chips per day. In the meantime, however, the centers are expected to produce about 200 kg of flour daily. HQCF is expected to initially go to bakeries, restaurants, and hotels in Mansa – the biggest town in Luapula Province where there is a high dem and for the product, while cassava meal goes to the general public and the chips to industries.
“We want our farmer-beneficiaries to earn more by increasing their production surplus and diversifying their income options,” Mussagy said. “But also importantly, we want to reduce the drudgery of labor associated with producing cassava chips and flour through traditional methods,” she added.
In traditional processing, producing cassava chips and flour takes an average of 6 days. “Through these mechanized processing centers, the production process could be reduced to just a day,” she explained.
The centers will be operated by MIRACLE-supported entrepreneurs themselves, with technical and business backstopping for at least one year. The operators were chosen based on their business know-how, dedication to the project, existing infrastructure in their homesteads, and leadership qualities. The operators have been trained by MIRACLE on cassava flour and chips production.
The commissioning was graced by Ms Miriam Kauseni, Permanent Secretary (PS) of Luapula Province, who represented the Provincial Minister. In her commissioning speech, she highlighted the importance of these processing centers to farmers and the local industry.
“The limited cassava utilization possibilities have been among the most important constraints to the growth of the cassava industry in Luapula and across Zambia as a whole,” she said. “The Zambian Government considers diversification of cassava utilization as critical as the crop can be used for baking and confectionery, stock feed, and industrial purposes – all of which can help create many new jobs and improve livelihoods,” the PS emphasized.
“I wish to recognize the efforts of IITA in the promotion of cassava utilization among the local people. As government, we are happy to see the good collaboration between IITA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to support the improvement of small-scale farming especially among households affected by HIV/AIDS. To IITA, I say ‘excellent work!’”.
“I have a word for our new cassava factory owners: the processing centers that you have now are the nucleus of development in your community. Operate them for the benefit of your fellow small farmers,” she advised.
Dr David Chikoye, IITA Regional Director for Southern Africa, reiterated what the PS said. “These are your factories. Look after them so that they bring the most benefit to you and your community.”
“IITA is your friend. Without you, we – and what we do – are irrelevant. Putting up these processing centers is the easy part – the more difficult part of operating and maintaining them now falls on your collective shoulders. But rest assured that we will always be here to assist,” he said.
During the commissioning, community members who attended were also treated to a display and taste-testing of various breads and pastries made with a composite of 20% cassava flour and 80% wheat flour. These were prepared using flour processed from the centers during their test run.
Pour toute information, veuillez contacter :
Jeffrey Oliver,
Responsable de la communication d'entreprise
O.Jeffrey@cgiar.org
Melba Davis-Mussagy
Agro-enterprise Development Specialist
M.Mussagy@cgiar.org
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