This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
Egerton University Unveils Campaign to Boost Cassava Value Chain ¶
Published on January 5, 2022
Egerton University is seeking to boost value addition for cassava, a staple crop in Eastern Africa's rural households. The university has launched a campaign to upgrade the cassava value chain, aiming to increase food and nutrition security, create jobs, and improve cassava quality and marketability.
The programme, funded by Community Action Research Project (CARP+), Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), and the MasterCard Foundation, targets smallholder farmers in Nakuru County. The project aims to incorporate 6,000 smallholder farmers in Njoro, Lower Subukia, and Solai Sub Counties.
Principal Investigator Prof. Richard Mulwa said the project will engage in market-oriented agriculture, linking cassava growers to industrial manufacturers. He added that the project will also provide value chain training in production, processing, and marketing of cassava-based products.
Prof. Mulwa emphasized that cassava has a huge unexploited potential as a raw material for various value-added products, including coarse flour, high-tech starch gels, and animal feeds. He noted that the project will link cassava farmers with industry players, including East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL), to produce high-quality beer from cassava.
The university is breeding varieties of cassava that are resistant to cassava mosaic disease and cassava brown streak disease. The new varieties are expected to be distributed to women and youth groups, with the aim of increasing food security and income for smallholder farmers.
Prof. Mulwa also highlighted the potential of cassava in producing biodegradable packaging materials, which can replace plastic bags. He noted that ongoing research has established that cassava can be transformed into a biodegradable green paper, which is environment-friendly and enables food to be stored for a long time.
The university has established 9 cassava varieties sites in the three Sub Counties of Njoro, Lower Subukia, and Solai. The project aims to increase average production for subsistence farmers from 2.5 metric tonnes per acre to 7 metric tonnes, and for pre-commercial farmers from 5 metric tonnes to 10 metric tonnes per acre.
