The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with some local and foreign partners, on April 25, 2024, officially launched the mechanisation of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) cassava production and processing project, situated at the Fashola Agro-Industrial Hub located in Oyo West Local Council, Oyo State.

The collaboration, which involved AATF, CLAYUCA Corporation, German Cooperation/GIZ, Agridrive (AD), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI), among others, was aimed at improving the access of cassava farmers in Nigeria to updated information, knowledge, and skills, about modern sustainable technologies for cassava production, processing, and utilisation.

This would help to improve the farmers’ productivity, incomes, food and nutrition security, as well as livelihoods, just as it would also help in reducing post-harvest losses and adding values in post-harvest processing.

Each of the partners has different roles, which are structured to reach out to about 3000 cassava farmers across the communities within Fashola. The project is also starting with about 600 cassava farmers as a pilot scheme.

While the Oyo State government is playing a supporting role by providing the enabling environment and security, which it would achieve along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the German Cooperation/Giz is provided funds whereas Agridrive’s role is to develop the mechanisation and CLAYUCA Corporation is to develop and build the equipment.

AATF, which is the principal partner, is saddled with the role of implementing the project by relating with and training the local farmers, while IITA is to play a supporting role by providing the farmers with stem. Other partners also have their different roles, which include providing markets for the finished product and movement of the farm products to the mechanisation site.

In his address, Governor SeyiMakinde, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said the project marked a significant milestone in the journey towards agricultural transformation in the state.

While he expressed delight at the official launch of the mechanisation of cassava production and processing project in Fasola, the governor said the initiative represents a bold step forward in the administration’s efforts to modernize and revolutionize the agricultural sector in Oyo State.

Makinde particularly commended AATF for its partnership and collaboration in bringing the project to fruition. “Their expertise and dedication have been instrumental in driving innovation and progress in our agricultural practices.

“AATF is a technology transfer organisation, established in 2003 with the goal of improving Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology. It currently has operations in 23 African countries, conducted by staff based at the organisation’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and its West African regional office based in Abuja, Nigeria, and several field offices around the continent,” he said.

He disclosed that the AATF project would provide advisory services at individual farms and at farmer groups’ level to deliver homogenous quantities and qualities at the right time for processing. “Further, training on post-harvest management and an opportunity for the access to a processing service by small scale village processors will be provided.

“The project introduces a new value-adding cassava processing machine that utilizes the entire crop without peeling. Two products are generated, high quality cassava flour for human consumption and coarser flour as a by-product of lower quality for the use as animal feed. Gas is the source of energy.”

In his remarks, the Executive Director of AATF, Dr Canisius Kanangire, said the project was principally aimed to promote rural development, and improve livelihoods, particularly in the cassava value chain.

According to him: “The mechanization of cassava production and processing holds immense promise in revolutionising the way we cultivate, harvest, and process this vital crop.”

He acknowledged the vital role of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für InternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other partners for their unwavering support and partnership in the endeavor. He stressed that their commitment to promoting sustainable development and fostering innovation in agriculture has been instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.

He said, “Cassava, as we all know, holds a special place in the agricultural landscape of our region. It is not only a staple food crop but also a source of income and livelihood for millions of smallholder farmers and their families.”

He noted that cassava yields in Nigeria average at less than 10 MT/ha against a potential of up to 30 MT/HA. “This huge yield gap is attributable to the use of low yielding varieties, limited mechanization, and inadequate utilization of Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs). Also, we experience huge postharvest losses in cassava, primarily attributed to inadequate infrastructure, including storage facilities and transportation, which lead to spoilage and damage during transit.”

He also identified limited access to modern processing technology, market access constraints, pest and disease control measures, financial constraints among others as impinging on the production of cassava.

To him, the introduction of mechanized technologies presents a transformative opportunity to overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of cassava production and processing, which he said would create employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women, and stimulate rural economies.

Kanangire, commended GIZ for their generous support, Clayuca for the machinery assistance, AgriDrive for driving the mechanisation component of the project, Nigeria Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) for the valuable technical support and commend all those involved in bringing the project to fruition.

Chairperson Board of Directors, Agridrive, NkiruOpareke and Peter Kolawole, who stands in for the Director General of IITA, said the project would provide opportunity to transform cassava production and processing, unlock new economic opportunities, and build a more prosperous future for cassava farmers and processors across our region.