info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Image from Breaking Times
It is reported that the African Development Bank (AfDB) plans to invest 120 million U.S. dollars in the next three years to increase the productivity of nine agricultural products such as cassava, rice and corn in Africa.
The nine commodities include: cassava, rice, maize, sorghum/millet, wheat, livestock, aquaculture, high iron beans and orange fleshed sweet potatoes.
A statement made available to journalists and disclosed that the cassava conference was attended by more than 450 local international partners in the cassava sector, coming from research and development organizations, government, farming community, and the private sector.
The Director for Agriculture at AfDB, Dr Martin Fregene disclosed this at the fourth International conference on cassava, being organized by the Global Cassava Partnerships for the 21st Century, GCP21, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.He stated that transforming cassava on the African continent would help African nations to cut imports and redirect it into African domestic economies.
Dr Fregene said cassava was a strategic crop for Africa’s food security and wealth creation for youth and women, adding that “another dimension to the importance of cassava is in nutrition where cassava can enhance the nutrition of children directly or as feed for poultry and other livestock.”
The Minister of Agriculture Republic of Benin, Dr Gaston Dossouhoui said cassava remained the cheapest staple consumed by Africans, adding that "addressing the constraints of cassava production in Africa will have a positive impact on African farmers."He added that with the largest volume of cassava coming from Africa, cassava supports more than 350 million people in Africa.
Dr Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General for Partnerships for Delivery at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), said unlocking the potential of cassava required partnerships and close collaboration of partners to address the constraints facing cassava.