Food security: Expert urges Nigerians To prioritise cassava production

Expert has urged Nigerians to accord cassava cultivation greater attention to boost for production.
The expert at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), who said this would reduce poverty and enhance food security.
The centre’s Regional Director, Dr Debisi Araba, gave the advice in Abuja on Monday.

Araba said that aside that cassava had advantages over other crops because it grew well in any part of the country and had huge value chain.

He said cassava has higher yields per hectare and it has tolerance to drought, degraded soil and has great flexibility in its planting and harvesting.

Acording to him, “Cassava has grown to become one of the most popular staple food crops in Nigeria, prioritising it therefore, means promoting the commodity’s production to enhance food security, reduce poverty and promote rural development.

“As a source of starch for example, it is highly competitive, the root contains more starch than almost any other food crop, and the starch is easy to extract using simple technologies.