Agbeyewa Farms has received a team of Brazilian agronomists on a working visit to its cassava plantations in Ekiti State, with discussions centred on advancing large-scale mechanisation and promoting industrial applications of cassava in Nigeria.

The delegation, made up of Mr. Pascoal D’Andrea Filho and Mr. Liviston Teles Sena, toured Agbeyewa’s sites in Ipao, Gede, and Iyemero communities, where over 5,000 hectares of cassava have been cultivated in less than two years. Their assessment focused on farming practices, mechanisation processes, and community partnerships that underpin Agbeyewa’s operations.

Nigeria currently produces more cassava than any other country, with more than 60 million metric tonnes annually. However, most of the crop is consumed as food, while less than five percent is channelled into industrial use. Brazil, though producing far less, has developed a stronger industrial market for cassava derivatives such as starch, ethanol, and animal feed. The visiting experts noted that with the right investment and policy support, Nigeria could begin to replicate that model.

“This is impressive. We have never seen so many cassava fields together in one location,” Mr. Pascoal said during the tour. “The future of cassava in Nigeria lies in scaling up projects like this, while directing production toward industries that can generate broader economic value.”

Agbeyewa’s Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Oska Seyi Aiyeleso, said the visit offered opportunities for practical knowledge transfer between the two countries.
“It is a privilege to host our colleagues from Brazil, who bring years of experience in cassava farming and processing. Their insights will help us refine our methods and strengthen our ambition to build an integrated cassava value chain,” he stated.

He added that the farm’s leadership team plans a reciprocal visit to Brazil to learn directly from its cassava industry and expand collaboration.

The partnership comes at a time of renewed diplomatic and trade engagement between Nigeria and Brazil, with agriculture identified as a priority area. For Agbeyewa Farms and its parent company, Cavista Holdings, the collaboration marks a step toward repositioning cassava from a food staple into a driver of agro-industrial development in Nigeria.