The Implications of Cassava Processing and Marketing for Other Root Crops

Abstract

All tropical root crops have experienced increases in production during the last 15 years, but only cassava has experienced substantial development of new markets. In cassava the main developments are export markets as an animal feed ingredient in the European Economic Community (accouting for approximately 10 percent of production, or as an industrial starch in Canada, Japan and the United States (accounting for less than one percent of production.) The diverse markets for cassava are examined in an attempt to identify factors which would be relevant to the market diversification for other tropical root crops. Additionally, new market possibilities for cassava (i.e., single cell protein and ethyl alcohol production) are examined and discussed in terms of their inference for other tropical root crops. Discussion of the size of cassava production and processing activities illustrates that small scale production and processing can successfully supply even export markets (viz. Thailand’s cassava starch export industry). The discussion also illustrates the possibility of small and large scale processing activities working together (viz. the chipping (small scale) and pelleting (large scale) plants in Thailand). Conclusions reached are that there are unexploited markets available to other tropical root 379crops, and that these markets need not depend on large scale processing. However, realization of these markets may require processors, entrepreneurs and governments to appreciate that tropical root crops can be more than subsistence crops.