New cassava homepage
From Biosecwiki
Importance of cassava | Sector development | Cassava Pests and Diseases | Building a resilient cassava production system
1. Importance of cassava - Cassava is an important staple crop in central, eastern and southern Africa. It is rich in carbohydrates, tolerant to drought and acidic soils, and can generate adequate yields even on depleted and marginal lands. The crop is the third most important source of calories in the tropics, after rice and maize. In Africa, more than 70 million people depend on cassava.
2. Sector development - Cassava sector development (industrial or semi-industrial uses of cassava) is being actively pursued world wide - cassava is a source of starch, and can be a feedstock in bio-ethanol production, although East Africa has lower yields and less wide-reanging use of the crop than other regions. At present, average yields in Africa are barely 20% of those obtained under optimum conditions.
3. Cassava Pests and Diseases - Both as a staple crop and as a potential sector to be developed, cassava production is being threatened by pests and diseases. The most serious are East African cassava mosaic virus-Uganda variant (EACMV-Ug) which has been spreading since 1997, and cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) which has affected new areas in eastern and central Africa from 2004. Being a staple crop, pests and diseases have an immediate impact on food supply.
4. Building a resilient cassava production system - In response to the disease threat, FAO and others have been multiplying planting material (cassava stems) of mainly disease-tolerant varieties. A recent programme review suggested a more holistic approach involving farmer education, involvement in selection of new varieties, communication and national coordination would improve the effectiveness of this response. Based on this review, in 2009, FAO and partners developed a regional strategic programme framework, entitled “Cassava diseases in central, eastern and southern Africa” (CaCESA). CaCESA aims to increase the crop’s productivity and production as well as control the diseases that affect it. In so doing, CaCESA will ensure food and income security for cassava-dependent vulnerable populations in 15 countries in central, eastern and southern Africa affected by cassava pests and diseases.
To achieve this objective on a significant scale will cost in the order of $50-100m over five years, bring benefits to 5,000,000 farmers in 15 countries in central, eastern and southern Africa, and improve the underlying sustainability of the cassava production system in the long term
