{"id":13001,"date":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/cassava-myths-and-half-truths-how-they-hinder-the-potential-of-the-crop-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:08","slug":"cassava-myths-and-half-truths-how-they-hinder-the-potential-of-the-crop-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/cassava-myths-and-half-truths-how-they-hinder-the-potential-of-the-crop-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Cassava myths and half-truths – how they hinder the potential of the crop in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

False notions about cassava in many African countries prevent the realization of the crop\u2019s full potential in poverty reduction, food security, and industry. Some of these beliefs and perceptions, which have been ingrained in the culture of many African farmers for so long, need to be addressed and changed if growers and the sector are to progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #1: Cassava is a poor man\u2019s crop.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Farmers<\/a>
Farmers weeding a cassava field. Cassava does need some labor-intensive maintenance if it is to be productive. Photo by JT Oliver, IITA.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the most prevalent, albeit false, notions about cassava. According to Anneke Fermont, an IITA researcher based in Ug anda, \u201cour research in eastern and central Ug anda and western Kenya showed that cassava is grown, consumed and marketed by both well-to-do and poor farmers alike\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cassava is an important food security crop that provides about a third of the starchy staple food consumed in many African countries. It is also an important cash crop, generating nearly as much income as the higher-valued maize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #2: Cassava does not require much labor.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to popular belief, growing cassava does require a degree of labor especialy in field maintenance. IITA\u2019s research shows that, for example, cassava’s labor requirements for weeding are much higher than for most other food crops. It is only that many farmers tend to weed their cereal and legumes first and cassava last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe crop will therefore develop slower and is not able to compete with the weeds.\u201d explains Anneke Fermont \u201cThis forces farmers to weed their cassava fields as many as five times\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #2: Since cassava could grow on poor soils, it does not need fertilizer.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is untrue, Anneke says. This myth stems from the fact that cassava is a hardy crop that could survive in poor soils and still give a decent yield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she explains that fertilization studies show that farmers plant cassava on all soil types and, like any other crop, it responds well to manure and fertilizer application. The crop\u2019s tolerance of poor soils does not mean that it would not benefit from the added nutrients provided by fertilizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result of these myths, most efforts by governments and other stakholders have been geared towards promoting cassava mainly as a food security crop and less as a cash crop. However, following its success as a cash crop in Asia, its potential as a cash crop is now slowly being realized in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These misperceptions also contribute to the low levels of cassava yield in the continent. A related two-year study carried out by Anneke and her team found that the average yield of farmers was 6.8 tonnes per hectare (t\/ha) in western Kenya and 10.6 tonnes per hectare (t\/ha) in Ug anda. This was very low compared to its potential yield of over 50 tonnes per hectare (t\/ha) under proper cultural management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such low yields, East African farmers would not be able to support industries that use cassava as raw material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when farmers follow modern crop management practices, use improved cassava varieties, and apply fertilizers, their yields could more than double to 19.7 t\/ha and 23.5 t\/ha in western Kenya and Ug anda, respectively, as results of IITA field trials have shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis shows the tremendous cash-crop potential of cassava,\u201d says Anneke. \u201cPutting in place measures to increase yields such as good agronomic practices and access to improved varieties and agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and manure, and attracting industrial investors can have a significant impact on the livelihoods of millions of cassava farmers in East Africa. However, the attitude and perception towards the crop must first change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org<\/a>
Corporate Communications Officer (East Africa)
IITA-Tanzanie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)
Bureau de la communication
IITA \u2013 Si\u00e8ge
Ibadan, Nig\u00e9ria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

URL : www.iita.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c0 propos de l'IITA<\/b>
L'Afrique est confront\u00e9e \u00e0 des probl\u00e8mes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous d\u00e9veloppons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvret\u00e9. Nos recherches pour le d\u00e9veloppement (R4D), maintes fois r\u00e9compens\u00e9es, reposent sur une r\u00e9flexion cibl\u00e9e et autoris\u00e9e, ancr\u00e9e dans les besoins de d\u00e9veloppement de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Nous travaillons avec des partenaires en Afrique et au-del\u00e0 pour r\u00e9duire les risques pour les producteurs et les consommateurs, am\u00e9liorer la qualit\u00e9 et la productivit\u00e9 des cultures, et g\u00e9n\u00e9rer de la richesse gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l'agriculture. L'IITA est une organisation internationale de R4D \u00e0 but non lucratif cr\u00e9\u00e9e en 1967, dirig\u00e9e par un Conseil d'administration et soutenue principalement par le CGIAR.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

False notions about cassava in many African countries prevent the realization of the crop\u2019s full potential in poverty reduction, food security, and industry. Some of these beliefs and perceptions, which have been ingrained in the culture of many African farmers for so long, need to be addressed and changed if growers and the sector are to progress.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[66],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[188],"class_list":["post-13001","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","hentry","crop-cassava","item-year-188"],"yoast_head":"\nCassava myths and half-truths - how they hinder the potential of the crop in Africa - IITA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/cassava-myths-and-half-truths-how-they-hinder-the-potential-of-the-crop-in-africa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cassava myths and half-truths - how they hinder the potential of the crop in Africa - IITA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"False notions about cassava in many African countries prevent the realization of the crop\u2019s full potential in poverty reduction, food security, and industry. 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