Cassava postharvest needs assessment survey in Nigeria by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Cassava postharvest needs assessment survey in Nigeria

L. Sanni, C. Ezedinma, R.U. Okechukwu , J. Lemchi, F. Ogbe, M. Akoroda , E. Okoro, B. Maziya-Dixon , P. Ilona, and A. Dixon

2007

KHI: lc rna l io nal [n slinnc of "I 'rupiClI Agr ic lll: ur~ (11'1'1\). 2007 Iiud:Ul , Kigc ria

TdciJho nt:: (231 2) 21 12626 I'"" (2:14 2) 24 1222 1 Em:lil: iita@cgi:l r.o rg \'(feb : \vww.iita.org

To He:ldquan ers from o utside Nige ria:

C/o Lambourn (UK) LId . Carolyn House 26 Dingwall Road . Croydon CR9 3EE. U K \X'ithin Nigeria: PMB 5320. Oyo Road Ibadan. Oyo Sra re

ISBN 978 13 1 265

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Correct citation: Sa nni L.. C. Ezedinma . R.U. Okechukwu. l Lemchi, F. Ogbe. M. Akoroda, E. Okaro, B. Maz iya~Dixon. P. Ilo na. and A. D ixo n. 2007. Cassava pos tharvest needs assessment su'Vey in Nigeria. lITA, lbadan , Nigeria. 200 pp.

Contents The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Abia State .... ...........

Inrroducrio n .. ....................................... .. .......... ... ....................... .. .... ......... ........

Main linding'........................................ .. .... .. .. ............................. ...... ... ........ ... .

C ommu nity level nn:ds assessmenr ..... ... ... .. ........ ..... .. ..... .. .... ....... ...... .......... .... ... Observat io n s, co n clusio n , and reco mmend afi on ........................ ..... ... .. ...... .... .. .... App endi x 1 Comrn u niÂŁi es surveyed in Abia Slate and their n adit ional rulers ........ .

5 15 20

21 The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Akwa Ibom State.... 23 Introduction....... .... ....... .... .... ...... ... .. ....... .. ... ...... .............. ... ... ......... ... .......... ... .. 25 M ai n findings.. ... .... .... ........ .. ... ...... .... .. .. .... .. ..... ..... ................ ..... .... .. .... .. ........... 27

Appendix 2 Survey schedule ... .. .. .. ... .... ...... .. .. ........ ........ .. ..... .. .... ... .. ...... ......... .........

Co mmunity level needs assessmenr ...... .. ... .. ...... ......... .... ...... ........ ............ .... ...... . O bserva tio ns. co nclusion, and reco mmendacion ..... ... ......... ............. ................... ....

27 36

Appendi x I AKADEP 2000--2003 cassava production estimate ...... .. .. ......... ...... .. .. Appendi x 2 Cassava production st;uisrics in the sentorial zo nes of Akwa Ibom State (2002-2004) ......... .. ................... .... .. .... ............ Appendix 3 Local government areas/com muni ties selected and interviewed ... ... Append ix 4 C oo peratives and farmers associalions/organizations in Akwa Ibom State.......... ........ ........... .. .. ...... ..... ..... .. ... .. ...................

The Cassava Postharvest Needs As.essment Survey for Anambra State .. .. .... Introduclion.... ...... .. .. ...... .... ................ ... ....... .... ...... ......... .. ......... .. .............. .. .... M ain fi ndi ngs.. .... ... .. ... ...... ... ... .......... ... .. ............ .. .... ..... ... ............ ..................... Com munity level needs assess m em ... ....... ..... .. ... .................... ... ............... "."

45 47 49 49

O bservations, co n cl usion , an d recommendatio n ..... ......... ......... .. .. .. ....... .. ... ..... .... ..

41 42 43

Appendi x I Cassava product ion in the local gove rnment ares of An ambra State in 2000 and 200 1 (an ex tract [rom Ana mbra AD P data 66 Append ix 2 Responden ts .... .. .. .............. .. .. .... .. .......... .. ... ... ........ .... ............ 67 Appendix 3 Equipment prices serv ice center (N d ikel ionwu)........................... .. . 68

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Bayelsa State...........

ln rrod ucti o n ...... .. " ...... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .... ............ .................. ...... . ,.. ....................

M ain fi ndi ngs.... .. .... ... ................... ............ .. ... ..... .......... ...... ...... ... .. .. .. ........ .. ....

Com munity level nt'eds assessmcnr . Co nclusion .... ... .. .. ........ .. .... .. ... .

.. ......... .... ........ ..... ....... ............. .... ...

III

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Delta State ...... ........ Introd uctio n . ..... .. ......................................... ......... .......... .. ... .... ................ .......

87 89

Main findings ... .. ............... ..... ........... .................... .. ... .. .. ......... .... ....... .... ... ...... Com mu nilY level ncnls asscssmt' nt .................. ,.. ........ .............. .......... .............

92 92

Onsl:!'valio!ls, co nclusi on , and recommendalio n .. .. .... ..... ... .......... .... .... .. .... ... ... .. ..... 99 Appendi x I C assava produ ctio n trends in Ddta State rrolll 2000- 2002 ... .. I 12

The Cassava P ostharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Ebonyi State ... Introduction .. ....... ........................ , .. ..... ............. .. ....... ............. _...... .

I 13

11 5

Main fi ndin gs ....... ,.... .............. .... .... ................................................... ......... . 11 7 Comm unity kvd m:l:l!s ;1SSl!ssmcn t .. ... ...... ... ....... . . 11 7 Observa ti ons, co nclusion, and reco mm enda tioll .. ............................................... .. . 130

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Edo State .......... ..... . 137 Introduct ion ......... ...... ............ ...... .. .. ............. .. ................. . 139 H

••

•• •

•

•••••

•

•••

•

Main fi ndings ..... .............. .. ..... .................. ...... ................... ........................... .. I It I Co mmunity level Heeds assCSS lneJ1l ................... .. ........ . .

141

O bse rva lions, conclusion , a nd recom m l'n dat io n .............. .

ISO

The Cassava Postharves t Needs Assessment Survey for Enugu State ..... Int rod ucti on. .......... ...... ... .. .................. ........... ....... .... . .......... ...... .. ........

163 165

M:t.in findings .............. .... ......... ... ....... .... ............... . , .. ................... ....... . ...... IG8 Co mmuni ty level needs a ~C!>!i mc:n l ........................... ... .................... ... " ........ ..... .. I (,~ O b servati o n s, co ncl usion. and reco mm end atio n ........... ....... .. .... .... .. ... ...... ...... .. 176

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Irno State ... .... ........ . 179 Tnt rod ucri o n ... , ..... .. ... .......... .......... ...... .... .... .... .......... ... .. .. .. .. .. , ...... .. ......... .... .. 181 Main findi ngs ........ .... ............... ...... ........ .. ....... ... .... .. ............. ............ .. .. .......... . 183 Com munit y level needs assessm e nr .. .. ....... .. ... ... .................... .... •... 183 Observations, concl u sio n . and recommendation ..................... " ..................... .. 193 App endix 1 Co.'i t-re turn (prolirab il il Y) analysi s gari production

(from cassava tubers)in selecled communilies of Ohaji/ Egbcma

LGA, Imo Srate ......... .......... ............ ........... ............ ... ........... .. ........... 194 Appendi x 2 Cost- return (profi mb ility) anal ysis of gari production (from cassava tu bcrs)in selected com munities of Ngor/Okpuala LGA, Irno Stare ....... .......... .. ................. ...... ........ ... ............ ............ ... . 195 Appendi x 3 Score sheer or the cmmunitics ror the est,blishemnt ofSME project .. 196

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Abia State

Introduction Foud security and eco nomic empowerm ent are vital ingredients fo r sustainable huma n d evelopment. T he Preem ptive Mana gemclH of the Virulent CMD in Nigeria Project I!TA is inl~nd (. d [0 address hot h issues of food security and eco nom ic empower men t from J.. h:d1Il o log•." d.:-vdo pmcnt and job crca tion perspl.!c ivt::. This 1l t:~Js ;I.~ess mCI1l of rh ~ cas~a\',\ I"'()d ucill g co mm uniti es in i\bi:.l Sl i t: is :t pn'rcq uis ilc fo r thl' l:x p;lIl ~ ion o\" :ht: uriliz,ll ioll of C I!-. ... :I\·;t :l S the (u laum (i. H :-ural tr.lllsforma: io n, cnsllfin~ rood sct: ur ifr cspcci;l lly among \lnd ~ rrr ;\' ik'ged Sl'C li O:1S o f soc i(';~' ;lIld (,:mpowc rin g pcop ~ c: through jD h (rc,nion aH ~ ctw.: rprisc dcvd op mclll. Fo r cassava products ,0 fulfill [hese roles. they mllst co mmand uplim:l ] m arker prices an d he aV<lib hlt: in th t: approp rl:tlc q ual iry and q uan tity for the vari o us segm enrs of the cassava utilizar ion co mmuni ries. Abia Sta re in Nigeria is o ne of the major produce rs of cas-say;) and caSSJva products in Nigeria. Thus, th e expansi on of CJssav:J lIriliz.ation .

Descri ption of Abia State lies betwee n longitudes 7" OO'and 8° 00' E and la ritud es 4 45' and 6° 1i N In Ih l.: southeas lern pan of Nigeria. T he climate is tropical and humid all year rou nd. Tht rainy season, from .M.arch lO O ctober , is bi mu dal w ith a two-week brea k in ra infall ill Aug usr. The dry season o ccurs from N ove mber to February. T he me:m annua l ra infa ll ranges from 2000 to 2500 mm w irh the soll thern areas recei ving mo re than the northern areas. T emperatures are co nstantly high with;.tn ann ll al da ily maximum of about 3 1DC and a minimum of ab out 22 DC. Rel ative hum idity is always high and h ighest at the height of the rains and lowcst d uring the ha rm auan mo nths of December- Fe bruary. The vege tation is prc:Jominam ly lowland r<linlorest, but hum an activity has been so intense rhat m os t of the fore st has beco me degra ded. T he general land-use pattern is subsistence culrivarion with Juc nda nr hush fallow syste m .

Abi:t

Sl:lt C

Research approach Selection of participating communities T he focus of the Needs Assessment Survey was based on represem at ive commu ni ti es from the three sCllltori.:ll districts of Ab ia State. In each district, rh e highest GISS3va producing lo<.:al government area (LGA) was selected as indicated in the data available at the Abia State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) on cassava produ ction in the Slate!. Similarly, the rh ree top cassava producing co mmun ities in ,he selened LGA were purposively selected fo r the survey (Tab le 1).

Table 1. Local government areas (LGAs) and communities selected for the Needs Assessment Survey in Abia State.

Scnarorial d is( ri ct

LGA

Abia North

Bendc

Comm unity

Bende Ugwllek~

Abin Ct'nual

Ikwuano

Abi:l. .south

Ukwa West

Uzuakoli M abaukwu O loko O horo Ugwu-Ibere Asa L'm unlcke Obul.or

Og\vc::

Data collection and analysis In l'3c h sell'c rcd co mmun ity. (h e rrad ilio n3! ruler (Eze) (Appendix I) was info rmed abo ut 2/j - 28 hours prior to his commun ity's selectio n ro r th e survey. H e was t hen req uested to

assemble his people ror a rapid appraisa l. T he posth arve st needs assessrnCnl was conducted in the selected commun ities of Abia Sute ber\\o'ce n 31 May and June 200 4. The communities were sco red (as non e = O. weak = 1. mode rate = 2. and adequ:lrc = 3), on cac h of the 12 compon enrs of the needs assessment

chc:cklisr. In " iew {hl' importance of ava ila h ility of bnd an d raw mJtt:rial, w illingness to t:olltribure and ow n a process in g plam . and availabi lity o f relevam in rraslruc ture to the success o f Ihe exe rcise, Ihese t hree components were w eighted as weak = 1, moderate' = 3, and adeq uare;: = 5. The lotal score o btain ed by each comm uni ry was ustd ro rank the suirability of the commun ities as a poremial site for [he proposed cassava processing plant in each o f rhe senalOria l l.Orlcs. Institutional sup pon wilhi n tht: commu nities was examine;:d . T his t:xercise was ca rried out beyo nd the vicinity o f~eleCled cOlllmu nities illlo ot her a reas of the sra te, especially. Aba and U mu ah i:1. T his is beca use it was envisaged th al only:! few comm uni ties have iuncrio na l ban ks and majo r 1.:quipmenl fa h ricalOrs.

Main findings Community level needs assessment Abia North senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. The three communities (Bende. Ugwueke. and Uzuako! i) surveyed in t his zone produce basically the sa me cassava products (gari. fufu. abacha, and starch), However, akara is also produced in Bende and Uzuakoli communities. Cassava produc rs selected in rhi s wne for the Stv1E varied. Bende community opted for a gari fa ctory wh ile U~\Tueke co mmunity asked for a Hour fJewry and Uzuakoli com munity requested for any cassava product mh er (han gffri and Juju.

Community k>towledge oj equipmentJabricators. Ugwueke people hod no ideo [rom where the equip ment needed for cassava Aour coutd be procured . The commu nity requ es red th e SME program to source tor the equipment on their behalf. In the same vein, Uzuakoli comm uni ty rel ied on bmh th e Ministry o f Agriculture and the Abia Srare Agriculrural Develo pment Program (ADP) to so urce for the equipment for them. They insisted that base d on th eir past experience, they \vould not accept locally fa bricated equipment which th ey SJid lacked efficiency lnd wou ld not make the vent ure profita ble. Availability of cassava roots and production costs. All the communi t ies in this zone promised to provide (he raw cassa va tubers o n a regular basis to any approved cassava processing plant. T he production cost for 50 kg gari in Bende community ranged from N'GOO to N900; N700 to N750 in Uzuakoli community; a nJ N GOO to N750 in Ugwueke commu nity (T Jble 2). The average production cost for 50 kggari in the zo ne was about 1\:800. Daily wage rates when food was provided wereN300 fo r women and N500 for both men and youths in both Bende and Uzuakoli co mmunities. Daily wage rate in Ugwueke wos cheap er~N250 for women and 1'<400 for men and youth when food was provided. Where no food was provided. Bende and Uzuakol i com mun ities paid N500 to women and N700 to men and yo uchs. Again. Ugwueke community's daily wage rarc without food was cheaper at N300 for wom en ond N500 for men and youths. The cost of a plot oflond (50 x 100 ft) [or bu ilding the [,"tory ranged from N20 000 to N25 000 in Ugwueke community; NIOO 000 to N150 000 in Bende community; and 1'<1 00 000 w N200 000 in Uzuako li community.

Table 2. The costs or processing gari in Abia North senatorial zone. Bend,(N)

Uzuakoli (N)

Ugwueke (N)

Production cost for 50 kg

600-N900

700-750

600-750

Daily wage ra te (with food)

300 (women) 500 (men and youths)

300 (women)

250 (women) 4 00 (mel) and youths)

Daily wage: [One (no foo d) Cosr of a plo t of land (50

500 (men and )'Oulhs)

500 (wo men) 700 (men and youths)

700 (men and you,hs)

500 (women )

300 (w o men) 500 (men and youths)

100 000-1~o 000

100000-200 000

20 000-25 000

, 100 fr)

Sau ofcassava and cassa"a products. The client s purchas ing cassava and cassava produC[s included indiv idual t raders in Umuoche market in Bend e. In Ugwueke communiry. the m arkers "",here both cassava lubers and gnr; were sold included Afia-orie, Afia-a ror, Afiankwo. and Alia-eke. Individual consu mers fro m Aba and Umuahi. bought gori.filjil. and cassava tubers :1ÂŁ Uz.uakoli on a dai ly basis. More rrad ers purchased caSSilvil and cassava products in the wne at the four~d ay markets. Some of the markers in the zone were daily (four days) and on special arrangement.

Constraints to cassava processing. In a1l the communities surveyed in t his wne, the major consrraims to cassava processi ng in cluded nonavailabi liry of equipment. low p rofi t m argin, inadeq ua te fina.nce, and the drudgery of peeling cassava and the garificari on process. Tracmrs were not used in thi s zone and in the rest of Abia 5[<lIe. Bende and Ugwueke com muniti es indicared that they did not have fun clional o rganizations. investo r gro ups. o r ind ividu als willing [0 finance C3SSJ.Ya processing o r hire :1 Hactor. Willingness to own a cassava processiPJg piant All the co mmunities in this zo ne were will ing to own a cassava processing plant on loan. Uz.uakoli community provided {he names of five far mers' coope ratives w ill ing to embark o n the processi ng of cassava as: I. Odomba Eluoma Age Farme rs' Multipurpose Coo perative Society (FMCS) 2. Udohab ui ke Am amba FMCS 3. Udodinma FMCS 4. Oganiru FMCS 5. Uchenna Am au hie Eluama FM CS Piant ownership prtferences. Plane ownership preferences varic:d from one comm unity to another. Ben de people preferred comm unity ownership while Ugwueke community opÂŤd for gro ups of willing inves to rs who wou ld ow n shares. Uz.uako Ji co mmunity preferred the cooperative societies to own the proposed cassava processing plant. Availability o/land and other jupporting infrastructures. Availab ility ofland for cassava productio n and building a fac ro ry would nor be a proble m in any of the co mmunities sur~ veyed in this zo ne. Land ownershi p in all the commu nities was a combination ofind ividual,

family. and communal type. There was availability of electricity line and water supply. and good roads. In Bend e and Uzuakoli communities, there was progress

connect the com-

munity with .he national electricity grid. All [he communities claimed to be willing to build a cassava processing plant as soon as they were selected and had Joan facilities.

Managing cassava wask. Cassava processing waste was regarded as proble m to the enviro nme nt. They mentioned oAensive odo rs as one the problems . The solid waste was ei ther u ~ed as fa rmya rd manure or as animal feed .

Abia central senatorial zone CAssava commodity selected/or SME. The co mmunities surveyed in [h is zone incl uded Ahaba ukwu Oloko. Oboro (Olo ri location). and Ugwu-Ibere all in Ikwuano Local G overnment A rea . The cassava products produced in this

20 ne

included gaTi, Jufo, starch, flou r,

abacha, and akara. Obore co mmunit)· selected ethanol producti on and its b)'products; Ahabau kwu Oloko opted for cassava flour; and Ugwu-lbere requested fo r gmilflour as thei r SME products.

Community knowledge of equipment fabricator. While the Ahabau"-'Wu Oloko community had no knowl~ge of the machi nery required and rheir sou rce, Ugwu-Ibere and Obore comm uni,ies knew the machinery required to produce the ir selected SME products and where to ge t them. There w ere no major equipment fabricators in ,he communities excepr EGOPH Ventures in Ahabaukwu Oloko. The company fabricates cassava gra rers and other grinding machi nes. Availability of cassava roots and production costs. In all the locations in Abia Cemral senato rial w ne (lkwuano LGA), the ava ilability and regularil"Yor cassava for process ing and th e willingn ess (0 suppo rt or supp ly cassava. tube rs were not a problem. Since Obore commu nity di d not pro duc~ ethanol, the respondents could nor indicate irs production cost but strongly believed that product io n of ethanol in their co mmunity would be COSt effective. T hey cited low dai ly wage rate in the community and the possibility of expo rtin g ethanol as reasons for rhei r optimism. The prod uctio n coS( of 50 kggari in the zone was estimated at N700. Pro duction of gar; in the area was competitive. Wage r3te per day varied amo ng [he communi ties. In Oba ra and Ugwu.rbere communities, men and youths received NSOO per

day withour food and N400 with food . The women receive N400 wirhout food and N300 with food. In Ahabaukwu O loko. men an d yourhs received N500 with food and N 600 without food . The w age ratc for w o men was the same in the o rher two communities. The COst of a plot oflan d measuring 50 x 100 fr fo r building rhe processing planr was berween N 100 000 and NI SO 000 in Obara (Olori). NI50 000 and N200 000 in Ahabaukwu Oloko. and berween NIOO 000 and N200 000 in Ugwu-Ibere communities.

Sale of€aSSaVR product,. Marketing of cassava and cassava products was noe a problem in Ikwuano Local Government Area. The Ndoro. Ariam, and Ahiaorie markets that operated daily and twice a week~ in addition to other smaller markets provided ample avenues for

selling the products . In the case of ethanol production. the envisaged clients included exporr

Table 3. The costs of processing gar; in Abia Central senatorial zone. Oboro (N) Product ion

co~[

for 50 kg

Ugw\I Ihere (N)

Ahabaukwu Oloko (N)

700

Dai ly w;/,gt:: ratt:: (with food)

300 (women) 400 (men and youths)

300 (women) 400 (men and youth:;)

300 (women) 500 (men and youths)

Daily wlge rate (no foud)

400 (wo men) 500 (men and yom hs)

400 {women} 50U (mt'n and youths)

4 00 (wolll('n) 6 00 ( m en :lnd youdu)

COst of a plot uf la nd (50 x 100 ft )

100000-150000

100 OUU-200 noo

1SO OC)(l- 200 (JOO

markets, chemical ind ustries and Jaboramries, educational institutions, and the consuming pop ulation within and outside.

Constraints to cassava processing. The constraints to cassava processing identified in the zone were nonavailabi}ity of appropriate equi pment which could reduce [he dtudgery associated with cassava processing, marginal profit (if <my), lack of fin ancial sup port, and health problems associated with smo ke inhalation. In Ugwu-lbere, the pro b lem of transponing cassava rubers from the farm was highlighted in view of the rough landscape of the community. Ownershi p or hiring of tractor for cassava farming was not in practice in Abia Cemral senatorial zo ne due ro the landholding system which made availability offarmland too small for tractorization and erosion which has rendered the landscape impassable for tractors. Willingness to own cassaVA processing pkl1ft. There were no functional registe red associations, cooperatives. NGOs, or investor groups ",illing to finance cassava processing in Ahabaukwu Dloko community but individuals we re willing. The silUarion was differ~nt in Dooro and Ugwu- Ibcrc commu niries where Ihere we re fun ctional registered associations willing to finance cassava processing. In Oboro community such u rganizatio ns were: • Igwebuike Farmers Cooperati ve Society • Oobi Obora Enterprises Obioma '\('omen Farmers Coope rati ve Society Ezinne Obaro Women Socie ty Oboro C lan Welfare Association (OCWA) Federated In Ugwu-lbere commu nity, [he organizations were; Otuezinne \'qomcll Farmers' Cooperative Society Anyanwun\l,Ianta Industrial Farmers' Cooperalive Society Ogboego Inyila C ooperative • Ogbougo Age Grade Association Punt ownership preferences. All the comm unitit's surveyed in Ikwuano LGA were willing to own a cassava processing plant o n loan . Organizations and individuals \,,'ould be given the opportunity to own a cassava plant in Oboro community through partnershi p (sa le of sha res). Ownership of plant wou ld be by pa rtn ership or sale of shares if the Ahabaukwu 8

Oloko community was selected. In Ugwu-Ibere community. the people responded to the question of ownership by indicating thac any of Ihe cooper:::ttives could own the plant.

Availability o/land and other supporting infrastructures. There was availability oflarge contiguous farmlan d for cassava production as well as access to land for.the building of the planr in all the comm un ities. Individual and communal land owne rship existed in both Oboro and Ugwu -lbere communities. In Ahabaukwu Oloko commun ity. land was individually owned. All the com munities were willing [ 0 sta rt building the cassava processi n g plant as soon as appro val was given. The required infr-asr ru cture (elec tricity line, wa ter (bo rehol e), good earth road , an d com munication faci lities (G SM) were available in Obora co mmunity (Olori location). The other two com muniti es (Ahabaukwu O loko and Ugwu-Ibere) had most of the inFrasuucture except water, ''1:hich they got from the stream. Motor vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles arc the means of transportation in the local gove rnment area. Only Obara community has banks (\JBA at Is iala Oboro. Union Bank at Umudike Oboro. and Umuariaga Community Bank at Umuaria ga Obara) within its community.

Managing cassava waste. The th ree locations in Ikwuano LGA used their cassava waste as fannyard manure and as animal feed especially fo r goats. All the commun ities except Ahabaukwu Oloko were awa re of envi ronmental problems as.'iociated with cassava processing. Abia South senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. The co mm unit ies (Asa Um unreke, Obuzo r, and Ogwe) surveyed in Abia South senacorial wne produce vinually the same cassava products: gari, fufu , ab acha, and starch. Cassava products selected for th e SME project, however, varied . Asa Umun teke and Ogwe commun it ies selected gari, while Obuzor co mmunity preferred other products than gari. The resea rch team fell that if [he O~""e co mmunity had access to the economic analys is or the feas ibility report of the va rio lls cassava products , their choice of SME prod uct would have been a lor easier for th em .

Community knowledge oj equipment Jabn路cator. The communities had neither the knowledge of the equ ipment required to produce their chosen SME product nor where to procure them . Ava iLability of cassava ro ots and production costs. In all the loca ti ons in Ukwa Wes t LGA, the ava ilability of cassava and the willingness to supply it consistently was not a problem. Th e cost of cassava tubers was hi ghest in Ohuzor community at N750 per 25 kg, while the same quant ity costs N450 at Asa Umunreke co mmuniry, and N 600 at Ogwe co mmunity. The average productio n cost of 50 kg of gttri ill the co mmuniti es was N 1800 mai nl y as a res uit of the high wage bill in this part of the cou nt ry fuelled by oil mo ney. The d aily wage rates were N 300 with food ;tnd N ,'! OO widlOlit food fo r all categories of workers in both Ob u7.o r and Asa Um um eke com munities. In Ogwe community, [he dai ly wage rare w as higher bei ng N500 w irh food an d N600 wirho ut Food for all categories of workers. It was o b~erved that" t he youths were relucta nt to parti cipate in agri cultural work. This mi ght be

Table 4. The costs of processing gari in Abla South senatorial zone. Obu,", (N)

Asa Umunttkc (N)

OS"', (N)

Dail)' wace rate (with food)

1800 300 (women)

Daily wolge rau: {no food}

300 (men ::In d youths) 4 00 (women)

1800 300 (women) 300 (men and youths) -400 (women) 400 (men 2nd ),oll ths)

1800 500 (wome n) 500 (men and YOUth5) GOO (women) 600 (men and youths) SO 000.-<,0 000

Production cost for 50 kg

Cost of a plot ofland (50 )(100 ft)

400 (m en and YOUlhs) 80000-100000

80 000-100 000

due to rhe numerous handoU[s by bo th rhe govemmem and the o il companies in the area.

A plo t of land (50 x 100 ft) fo r building a proc,",sing plant COstS between NBO 000 and N100 000 in Asa Umumeke and Obuzor communities while the same size of plot com between N50 000 and N60 000 in Ogwe commun ity. Sale o/cassarJa p roducts. There was a ready marker for cassava and cassava products in the zone. T hese in cluded Ngwa Road matket at Aba ; Cemetery Road market also in Aba; Mile 1 m arket in Port H arcou rt; Ogwe market, and ot her Ngwaland markets. Most of them oper:1100 daily and twice a week to all [he communit ies in rhe zone. Major constraint's ro cassava processing in the communities were as recorded in Abia North and Central zones .

Constraints to cassava processing. As in other parts of Abia Stare, ownership or hiring of tractor for cass<\va cultivat ion di d not apply.

Wil/inK'Jess to ow,., cassava p rocessing plant. In Obuzor community , it was clearly stated that there were no fun ction al registered associations. cooper<uivcs , NGOs, investor groups, or individuals willing to finan ce processing of cassava products. In Asa Umunteke com-

muniry. the people were willing if only they could be assisted with a loan . The Ogwe Town Union and some indiviJlI~lls were willing ro finance the cassava processing plant if granred a loan . All the com mu nities were ready to .nart bui ld ing a processi ng plant as soon as their com munity

W<1.S

selected and a loan secured.

Plant ownership pre/e,.e"cei. In this .'icn:uorial zone. all kinds of ownership pattern s were possible (individua l. partnership . gro ups. etc). T he overriding faCtor was the availability of support from an external source. The presence of NNDC in lhe area and the Abi3 Stare Agency for Community-Based Poverty Reduction project helped these oommunit ies to

embark on any p roject which government was not funding fully or partly.

Availabilily o/Llnd and other supporting i,,[rastructrnn. Availability oflarge contiguous fa rmland for prod ucing cassava and for siting the proposed cassava p rocessing plant was not a problel1l ill any of the communi{ies surveyed in Ukwa West LGA. Land ownershi p was mostly co mmunal with little individual ownership.

Elecrriciry line. water (hand pum p) . communication facilities (GSM). and good roads (tarmac) were ava ilable in the who le area (provided by NDDC). Only one bank. UBA.located at Okeikpe close to A.. . d. Umunteke, served the community. 10

Managing cassava waste, Excep t for the Ogwe community, (he other ones were nor aware of (he environmental p roblems associated with cassava processing. This was pardy due to th e use o f mo bile graring machines in rhe area . All the communities use cassava waste 3 S animal feed and as far myard manure especially for plantain cultivation.

Institutional and political supportlbanks The team examined the service of 3 communi ty bank and some commercial ban ks within Abia State 10 recommend them {Q the communities since most of (he communities d id not have financial institut ions. The financial institutions visited were: • L'zu3kol i Commu nity B3nk, Uzuakoli • First Bank o f Nigeria Pic, Umuahia • Union Bank Pic, Umuahia • Ni gerian Agricultural Coopera,ive and Rura l D evelopment Bank, Umuah ia

Uzuakoli Community Bank, Uzuakoli is loca,ed a' , he marke, in Uzuakoli. Their services included giving loan facili ties to the community; helping to secure funds fo r the communil)' durin g launchin gs and other fund ra ising programs; makin g donations to va rious anns of the community; and assistin g in public rdadon services in form of corpor-dte social relations. Th~ tuget audience included traders within an d o utside (he communiry; industria lists; aU categories of fa rmers; civil servants who bank with them or th ose '\:hose salaries were paid through ,he bank; and members of , he N ational Youth Service Corp (NYSC) who were on national service in rh e com munity and irs environ . T he procedure for securing a 10;1 0 was for [he app lica nt to appl y formally to ,he bank, indica,ing ,he pur pose and value of the loan . Th e C redit Co mmittee of the bank makes:a recommendation [Q the board which makes the fina l decisio n of granting the loan based on the in formation comained in (he appl ica tion. It was important to assess the application to know if the applicant was a good cuswmer of the bank and resident in the community. T he interest rare was 30/0 per mo nth and the d isbursement period was w ithin one month. Re payment terms were be rween three and six months with a maximum period of one year for farmers and processo rs. Repaymen t was usuaJly ill instal menls. The borrower was nOt oflen mo nito red because [he bank did not have lhe person nel {O d o so. G uarantors had to be good cusro mers too. The coll a[eral allowed include bnded prope n i es~ share cerriflcates. and farm s. T he bank's loa n facilicy did nOt exceed N 500 000 because o f the max im um share capi,al ,he bank was allowed by ,he Cenrrall3ank of Nigoria (CBN). The bank was willi ng to gran, loans for ,he establishment of cassava processing plants in the com munity jf the loan did nO( exceed th e share capical of (he processing plane. One key constraint to easy loan approval ,vas the high incidence of bad deb" eyen from good customers. First BIIIlk of Nigeria PIc, Umuahia is located a' No. 1 May ne Road, Umuahia. The bank gives schobrships [0 unive r.-.i rics for speci:tI co rpo rate expenses; finances ag ri culmral projectS; and performs normal ban king services (savi ngs and current acco unts) an d Other corporare b<l nking such as \X'es tern Un ion money tra nsfer, d omiciliary bank ing, and foreign exchan ge transacti ons. T he bank also grants loans an d fi nancial assis(:1nce for agricultural 11

projects. and gi ves out loans to other industrialists for small. m edium . and large investments at community an d state levels without restriction based on eth nici ry. The procedure for obtai ning a loan was to apply stating the purpose, amo unt, terms of repayment, and 'enure, which sho uld be filed wi rh rh e ban k. If ,he applicarion mer ,he co ndiri ons of ,he bank, rhe loan was grant ed. The disbursement period depends on the re rms of ap proval and is" orren in stages as tht project progresses. The inl"erest rate was b etween 20 a nd 30%. For agricu ltural p rojects, the repaym ent staru from [he time of harvest ing and sell ing. In the case of an industrial loan, repayment starts as roan as productio n has sta rred . Difficulties in loan execution included high defau lt rate caused by procurement of bad equipm ent. wrong project assessment, and lack of close mo n itoring process. The Bank therefore trai ns the bo rrower du ring en lightenment programs (mainl y durin g visi[S). T he bo rrowe r was Irained on methods an d ways of proper loa n usagt'. The bank m onitored the inves tment si nce it h as all agricultural depa rtment". The ba nk was willing 1'0 gram loans fo r the establishment of a cassava processing pla nt for any specific producl. This ba nk does not howc,'er hold I.,'quity imcresls in such activ ities.

Union Bank Pic, Umuahia is loca ted at Li brary Avenue, Umuahia . Th e se rvices provided are normal banki ng services and social activities to the communities. It grants loans to civil serv~ llls for agricultural projects. The Federal Gove rnmen( guarantees 750/0 of the loan and the bo rrower guaramees the rem ain ing 25% si nce his salary comes through the bank. The individu al app lies for a loan and if the bank is sarisfi ed wi, h rhe app lication, ir is approved . The intercsr fate was 19%. T hc successful loan is disb ursed 100-0,,0 at a time. The repayment period for ,he loan lasted fo r only 12 mont hs. T he ban k d id nOl have diffic ulty n:covering the loan since the borrowers were civil serVa nts whose sal aries were paid rh rough rhe bank. T he agri cultural officer of the bank usually advi sed the borrowe r abou t the implica tio ns of loan payment default and th e borrowing procedu re. The agricultural offi cer also monitors the investmen t. The m ajor consrra int was the usual unwUl ingness on the pa n of ,he borrower to pa y back.

Nigerian Agricrt/trtTtlI Cooperative and Rllml Development Bank (NACRDB), Umuahia is located at 5/7 Nsukka Street. Um uahia . The bank is {he prod uc t of a m erger of the former Nigerian Agric uhural and Cooperarive Bank anclthc Peoples Bank. Their services include hand ling of micro and macroc rcdit to the N igerian comm unity. T he microcredit ranges from N 1 to N250 000 . The ma crocred i, ra nges fro m N250 000 'a N 500 000 and above. The b ank eq ua lly ca rries out so me normal banking services (savings and current accounts ope ralions). whic h were th e services of (he former Peoples Bank. The microcredit is offered for agri cultural production. marketing, livestock prod uccion . processing. and anisan activities. The proced ure fo r obraininga loan involves opening an account with N500 only. The customer operates ,he account fo r at least two months before applying for the loan. No collareral is required. The customer obrains rhe loan form after paying of N250 and returns the complelcd application form with the names of (\",,'0 guarantors, two copies of their photographs, an d their full particul ars. The gu aramors must b e reputa ble individuals in the society. T he guarantors are then invited and informed on the implica tions ofbc:ing 12

guarantors. The fo rm is processed at the Branch an d sen t to th e zo nal office at Enugu . fro m

where it was finally forwarded to the headq uart ers. The head office approves and returns the applica tio n form to rhe branch office. T here was no restriction on how man y times an app li ca n t could borrow . Good cusro mers co uld o btai n loa ns as many times as they \,.an ted. Cooperative cus tomers o r gro ups were neated in the sam e manner. Since they were in a

grou p, th ey cou ld however bo rrow beyo nd the limit of N 250 000 . T he int<rest rate was 8% fo r a microloa n. T he inte rest on macroloans was higher an d other stiffer conditio ns were app lied. The repayment terms were often s taggered to fit the com mo d ity type. A grace period was always give n ro meet harvesting or productio n tim e. The agricul tural credit officer ga ve some train ing in the form of adv ice to loan beneficia ries during site inspectio n

of the project. T he project was often mon itored carefull y with addi tional on-the-site advice. Even the n , ma ny co nstraints such as unwi ll ingness to repay on time, bad

debts as noticed

before the merger, and other problems of the beneficiary lim ited the ban k's loan operatio ns. NACRDB currently o nly collaborates with the Federal Governme nt of N igeria through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 10 give loans. Equipment fabricotors

Oboncowelds is located at 79 Aba, Port Harcourt Erpress Road, Aba. The company fabricates the cassava

SCf (!\V

press (bi g and s mall); cassava graters (i ro n and wooden );

gari sifters and fryers (rotary and flat); oven/tray drye rs (small, medium, large); palm oil process in g equipment; and storage tanks of all sizes. The ir m ajo r co nst rai nfS are shortage

of metal sheets and the associated high price; the high cost of weldi ng rods (electrodes); lim ited fina n~ to ca rry our their work; incessa nt power outages; and

low level of power

supply to power the machines . T he provis ion of afte r-sales services depends o n the client. Some cl ients invit e the fabricator fo r after-sales services whil e others do no t because of lhe d istan ce from their o perari onal loc3rio ns. This co mpany claimed ir co uld service dryers of va rious types as \vell as ot her equipm enc .

Edozie Construction Company is located at 3 Garage Road, Mgbuka, Umuahia. T he equipment fa bricated includes cassava graters with double roller (metal and wooden); plate mills o f all sizes and types; the cassava sc rew press; palm o il processing eq ui pment (digester, screw press, var ious sizes of cl ari fyin g equi pmenr); and ovenlflat drye rs (charcoa l and ga s types). Constra inrs of the company inclu de lack o f capital; low pa tro nage due to lack of fu nds; non ava il ability of ~ heet m etal, angle iro n. galva nized sheets an d pipes; power o utage ; and high cosr offud. A fter-sa les service in th is co mpany was d ifficult because theif customers cam e rrom di sta nt rllr31 areas and other states . The co m pany clai med that the re w as no equi pment, whic h it could not service.

M odetech Engi.. eerillg Srrvices is located at 3 07 Aba-Owerr; Road, PO Box 13272, Ab" (Phone: 0803 7107206, 082 -351532). This company fabricates cassava and palm oil processi ng equipm ent"; drye rs of various crops (cabinet and tray rypes); an d storage tanks fo r oi l. wa ter, and petroleu m products. Cons trai nts reponed include poor levd o f pa tro nage; lim ited runds (Q (:xeCllre jo bs; in consistency of electri city; an d expensive raw m aterials.

T he provision of aftcr-sales services dcp("nds on the agreement with clients. The co mpa ny claims to ha ve ski lls m service alllypes n f processing equipment.

LlIcky West Consh'uctioll CompollY Limited is located at 4b Aba, Port Ilarcourt Expressway. Abayi. Aba (Phone: 08033069280). The co mpany fabricates all siles of cassava graters: stora ge tanks for water, oi l. and petTo leum pro ducts; palm oil processing. soap m akin g. and rice mi ll ing equipment ; rice desmners; and block moldin g equip ment. Th e compan y claims to have the ca pacity [0 fa brica te :lny eq ui pment prov ided th e design is avail ab le . The m ajo r co nstrain ts facing th e company included lack o f qualified pe rsonnel ; lo w patronage whi ch th ey artrib uted to lack of funds; ex pensi ve raw m aterials; power outage; :tnd cha rges wh ich t heir cl ients saw as being on th e hi gh side. T he team co uld nor \'airy some of the claims by the local fabricators th ai rhey ca n fabricate any kind of cCl uipmc J1t , as so m e of the equipm ent was nor d isplayed . If one of th eir constraints was shon agc of qual ified personnel as they indicated . their co mpetence was doubtful. O boro communi ty has one NGO (National Council of W o m en Socie ty) wh ile Ugw uIbere co mmunity has the Foundarion for Responsive Interven t ion .

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Recommended sites and products Each of [he selected co mmunities was scored on the basis of their respo nses. Table 5 shows the scores for selecred communilies. Uzuakoli communiry with a tota l of 43 poi nts is [he recommended site for rhe cassava processing plant in Ahia North senatorial zone. The com~ munity declared irs desire for the CMD Projecr to select the cassav:> product 10 be processed in the plant. Given (he economic analysis of gari productio n reported in this survey, the researc h rcam considered syrup as a viable alccrn ar ive ro gari, 1t was also the recommended cassava product for th e location . In Abia Central senarorial zone. Oboro community with plant site at Olori had a total sco re of 49 points and was therefore recommended for the siting of [he cassava processing plant in rhe zone. As shown in T able 5. theif choice of cassava products was ethanol and its byproducts. In Abia South. Ogwe community wi th 39 points is the recommended site. Even though ga ri was the choice cassava product in {he community, {he research t(:am considers (he nonprofltabil ity of gari production and thus recommends cassava Aour for the zo ne.

Observations Lack of economic analysis The reseatch team noticed the absence of information on the profitability of em barking on th e production of the cassava products (gari, ethanol. ad hesive, Aour sta rch. syrup) bein g suggested to th e com munities. The si tuatio n was a major se tback for the comm unities in selt:cting their SME products. Communities such as Uzuakoli in Bende LGA, Asa Um unteke. and O buzor. both in Ukwa Wesr LGA. requested the C MD ptoject to prov ide any app ropriate product ot her than gari. \V,/e therefore rook the libeny to provide cost analys is of gari p roducrion from cassava tubers in selecred communirj es in A b ia State (Table G). An average of2G8. 58 kg of gari is produced from 1000 kg (I ton ne) of cassava tubers. When va lued a! an ave rage un it ptice ofN25 .30/kg. this am ounted to N6795. Variable cost acco unted fo r ab out 9 0% with tu bers alo ne contribming about 35% , whiJ(: the fixed cost acco unted for abour 200/u. and labor oper:nions accounted for about 300/0 of the total COSt of gari p roduction. Hence, gllri production is capical intensive. Gllri prod uction ente rprise in these co mmunities with their present system of production based on gross margin and net re ru rns (Tab le 6) is not pro nta ble. The assum prion is thar th e COS[ of processing shed is z.e ro since man f processin g sites were just open spaces near the processors house. Our discussions at t he var io u s locations suggest that gnri prod uc tion was no t profi rable. At bes t. only marginal profi r is m ade at the presen t level o f p roduction.

Flou! U)

No ide20 (1)

AdC'qullC

Glln"(3)

Yei 0)

y"m

AtirtlullC' (5)

produc:C'd SME. product

Tl"quircd

~bc h inC'l'}'

or m.1lchincl)'

Resulu (3)

Cun~i~IC'"CY of raw

Weak (I)

T Of~1 score

41 (5«ond)

35 (Third)

43 (First)

Aware (2)

(2)

A~re

Ellvimnmenial

problt' m

Mod('~a!C'

Ad~uatc (;)

(I)

Low (3)

Wc~k

ModCnle (2)

Adcquue (5)

• lnfnnruclurc

(2)

AdeGlUte (5)

37 (SC'Cond)

Aware (2)

ModcrOlle (3)

Adequ;i,!e 0)

Wcak (I )

Ad~Ultt' (3)

Ad~uatc (3)

Con or a plot

own plant

Wcoak (1)

:Ollie!

• Willingncss

fin;.rm:('

AJrq ull.le (3)

Adrquarc: (3)

Frtquency of muul

Moden.te(2)

Moder.llc (2)

ModC'r:lIC' (2}

Reguhr (3)

None to}

Adequate' (S)

y" (})

Yes (3)

Cni (3)

Adequ;i,u'" (3)

Modcme (2)

AVlIihblc marktt

Adequate (3)

(2)

(3)

Mode~.Ile

Ade q u ~rc

Wage t2.te pee day

Low (3)

c:n

MOtlenlC' (2)

Rc&ulu

Low (3)

Moderate (2)

AdC'quau: (S)

H;gh (1 )

Rctular

None (0)

(S)

eM oto Klcct (2)

provide {2l

eMOte

proy,de (3)

C MOlo

(3 )

32 (Third)

Noide.1 ( I )

Mod c l ,u~

AdcqUllC (3)

Wuk ( l)

AdequalC 0)

Mooef;l.tC' (2)

HiGh (II

H;&h (I)

R.eAulu (3)

No ne (O)

AJCl.llI:lIr:(S)

provide (2)

CMD tu

eMO to provide' (2l

Flour (3)

AdequalC' (3)

(3)

Adt-q~{(:

Adcqo~ ! C

(3)

Oboro

OgW(

(3)

(5)

(3)

-49 (Fim)

Awue (2)

Adcqwle (5)

Ad cqU1U: (3)

S I~ o ng

Ad cqu~: e

Adequate O J

MoJcwc(2)

(} )

CoSI cffcctin'"

Rq;ular (3)

Ad~u:.{e

Adequate'm

Ye'J

Yc.\ (3)

E,h"no[ (3)

Ad~uatc (3)

(5)

4\ (Fi ue)

AW.irr (2)

AdC'tuuc (5)

Low (3)

Aacqulte (5)

Adrquau' (3)

Adequate (3)

H;Sh (I)

High ( I)

R'I; ulaI O)

Nun(' (0)

AdC'qu;u~

provide' (3)

CMD(., selCCt (2) CMDlo

Gllr; (3)

Adc,-!l..:.Ic (3)

2~re

37 (Sccond)

No! (I)

Adequ,ilc (5)

Moden.lc (2)

Weak (1 )

Adequ .. l(' (3)

AdeqUlte (})

Modeme (1)

H ;gh ( I)

Rrgulu (3)

Okeikpe (2)

Adcqualc (')}

No Idea ( I )

CMOw ~da..1 (2)

G"r; (3)

AdC'l.ju:atc (3)

Umullll:k"

Aha!».ukwu Oluko

Ugwu·nxr~

Ahia Sol.lIh

Abi:a CC'n:r3!

UnakolJ

P roduccion COSI

m~teri~ J

Modemt (2)

Fin.lnci.l inuilurilln

~nd I~W m~leri~1

·Aval1ability oHand

Sou rce

Adcqu.llC' (})

Adcqu:a:c (3)

Canava producu

No ideo:! (1)

Ugwl,;ekt

8f:nd(.

Abil Nonh

Community

St.:I4Ilmiall.0TlC'

Table 5. Summary of the rating of communities i n Ab la State.

35 (Thin.!)

(I)

No: awa re

AJCC/u::HC (5)

MUfirfllC' (:!)

Wuk ( l )

Adequ.U ( (j )

(3)

Ad~u ;l. l e

Low (3)

R('~ubr

Nnne (0)

AJ rtlllAU,' (5)

CMDw sd«t (2) Nu idea (I)

Flour (3)

Ad~u:aI(,U)

Ob-.:wt

Locally fabricated machines .M ost of the communities surveyed did nor W3 m locally fabricated machines. They a rgued th at locally fabricated equipmem has low eFficiency and that they wo uld not make profit. T hey stressed that they spend their reso urces repai ring such mac hines be cau se t he machin es brclk do\vn regub rl y thu s reducing th eir margi n profit. if any. The Uzuakoli community in Bende LGA was most em pha tic sn cssing t ha t they lea rn ed their lessons with the cassava chip project in thei r comm unity, whi ch had b een abandon ed. The o ther co mpl aint about locally Fabrica ted mlch ines. especially those purchased th rough govern ment agenc ies, was th at th er were too expensive.

Deasion-making The co mmunities co m plai ned that in most cases, the benefi tin g co mm unity was never involved in decisio n-making as it concerns projects in their locality. Often , decisions were reached elsewhere and they \\'ere asked to implement. Sin ce the), were to O\\o'n the plant , they "..'a uld like to participate in all phases of construction, purchase of equi pment, an d runnin g of the plant.

Lack of counterpart funding !v10st of rhe ongo in g projects in Abia State are exec uted by th e Abia Scate Agency for Community Based Poverty Reduct ion Project in which the benefiting co mmun ity co nt ributes only 10% of the cost of th e. project. We o bserved a lack of enthusiasm in most of the communities because the proposed cass;}y;} processing factory did not have counte rp art funding. In communicies used to gove rnment "free lunch ", the enthusiasm was always low.

Power supply We observed that all the locatio ns would requi re back-u p powersupply , the presence of the Nationa l E lectric Power Authori ty (NEPAl notw ithstand ing.

In adequate Infrastructure During the survey, the res:earch team Il oted th e need to construct mo re rur.d feeder roads to reach places where mos t o f the nati on 's foods we re produced. For example, Ugwu eke commun ity in Bende LGA is a major food produc ing are<l of Abia State bur not easily accessible by road . T he team had to abo rt the forst trip to the commu n ity on acco u nt of the bad road. T he res u lt of this survey confi rm s th at cassava, ya m, fire wood , and other ag ricultural raw materi als are chea p and ab undant in Ugwueke bur (he commu nity lacks basic infrast ructure to enhance its developmenr.

Follow-up Virtually all the commu niti es surveyed accuse governme nt of"wherting their appetite" with developmenta l projects w ithout implementing th em . They hoped that the proposed cassava processing outfit would no t be o ne of them . Consequently, th ey dem anded that as soon as a decision was: made. they would like to be informed even if they were not successful.

Mechanization and use of fertilizer The tcarn observed rhat most farmers in Abia Srare o pposed 3gricultmal mech anizatio n. They :1rgued char in comm unities with J. r.lmily or ind ividual landholding system, mechanization would dest roy the fa rm boundaries and incn:asr;! so il eros io n. In so m e areas with d ifficult rerrain, c.g. , Ugwu-Ibere in I kwuallo LGA, th ey believed mech:mizacioll wa.s n OL

poss ible . In a ll.he communiri es visited in Ukwa West LGA , the farmers did nor \o..:elcome the usc of fertilizer because th ey em phasize that their so il was fertile enough and (h:1I use of ferti lizer cau5ed fOrring of their tubers. One farmer asserted " Brin ging fertilizer to Ukwa land is a waste of time a nd mon ey. give it to Ngwa peop le",

The catalytic plants Experience from the field survey suongly suggests {hat (he proposed pilot mu ltiproduct

processing plan ts at lITA Onne and NRCRI Umudike should be built now . These plants wo uld play t he dual rol e of convincing the co mmuni ti es that the project was feasible, and reduce the margin of error in realizing any of (he SME projects.

Conclusion The quantity of cassava grown in Abia State is much. Most of (he cassava and cassava products produced in the comm u nities were mainly for local consumption. One of the challenges facing [he cassava industry is the devdopmenr and marketing of export-oriented products .

T o tealize the fu ll potential.of cassava and cassava productS. small-. medium- and large-scale enterprises must be established together wi th infrastrucrure required ro sustain them. The communities that were co mmitted (0 realizing {his dream have been identified in Abia State and they were ready. Government should allow the actualization of this projecl.

Appendix 1 Communities surveyed in Abia State and their traditional rulers Abia North senatorial zone

Bende-HRH Eze (Engr.) P.O. Ude. Isiohu I Qf Umuisiobu Au t. Community Ugwueke-HRM Eze J.O. Chukwu. Ezeugwu I of Ugw uekelEzeukwu Uzuakol i-HRM Eze K.O. Ikont<. Ozuo I ofUzuakoli Abia Central sena(orial zone

Ahabaukwu Oloko-HRH E,e Dr Chimezie Nwabueze Oboro-HRM Eze Abell. Egesie. Ezeaha I of Obora Ugwu-Ibere--HRH E,e Dr E.S. Ifenwan .. Abia Sourh senacorial zone

Asa Umumeke-HRH Eze c.K. Anyamele Obuwr-HRM E,e E.O. Nwagbara Ogwe-HRH E,e Amaechi John

Appendix 2 Survey schedule Monday, 31 May 2004 Courtesy call o n the Program Manager, Abia State Agticultural Project (ADP) Discussion with ADP officials and identirying ,he survey si tes. Plenary session Meeting with the traditional rulers in Asa Umu nreke. Obuzo r. Ogwe, Bende, and Uzuakoli co mm uni ties Tuesday, 1 Jun e 2004 Survey in the three locations in Abia South senaro rial zo ne Wednesday, 2 June 2004 Survey in Abia North Senatorial zo ne M eeting wi th Traditional Rul ers in Abia Central senawrial zone Thu rsday, 3 Jun e 2004 Survey in Abia Cemral Senamrial zone Meetin g with the Traditio nal Ruler of Ugwueke Friday, 4 June 2004 Survey at Ugwueke Visit to institutions (ba nks equi pment fabricato rs) Monday, 7- Friday, II Jun e 2004 Writing of report

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Akwa Ibom State

Introduction The Preemptive Management of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) is an UTA proj ect whi ch is fun ded by the Federal Govern ment of Nigeria. the Niger Delta Development Commission (l'\ODC), oil co mp ~:mies, and the 12 Sl a tes in southern Nigeria; namely, Abia, Al0v:l Ibom , J\nambra, Baydsa, Cross River, Ddta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Irn o, Ondo and Rivers. The Needs Assessment srudy路co mpo nenr of the CMD integrated cassava project in Akwa Ibo m State in particula r and II orher targetoo scares in southern Nigeria in general is a res ultant project. emanati ng from a series of meetings held on the C ."v1D Epidemic Preventio n Program of CassaVl.

Description of Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is located between latirudes 4"33' and 5"33' North and between longitudes 7'3 5' and 8"25' East. Akwa Ibom is in the humid rainfall zo ne of N igeria. Abia State is to the northeast and w~st of Akwa Ibom State. h is situated southeast of Cross River State. Rivers State is to the southwest and so U(h of Akwa tbom State. It has a population of 2.4 mill ion people and covers a land area of7 24 5 935 square meters. The main ethnic groups in the state lre Ibi bio, Anang, and Oron o fvlany Christian denominations exi5t in Akwa lbom State and most of the people are Christians. The main staple food of the people is gari and fUfit, tho ugh plantain and yam are also consumed in large quantit ies. Abou t 80% of the people are [umers; and th e majority of the farmers live in the rural areas. The state is divided into 3 1 local government areas (LGAs) and three senatorial zones (Appendix 1). The land is gendy undulati ng plains and the soi l is sa ndy loa m, deep, and well drained. So me of the soils are derived from alluvium, including coastal 5~md deposits. Cassava is the major agri cultural crop in all the 31 LGAs o f Akwa I bom State. Man y improved cassava varieties are diffused thro ughout (he sta te. Mixed cropp ing is widespread in both compound and fa rmland environments. The Akwa Ibom people practice continuous fa rming/shifring systems of crop farming . Cassava roors aIe processed inco gari,fofo , tapioctf, wrapped fiifU, porridge, starch , Aour, and used as li vestock feed. Almost every house hold is involved in the processing of cassava-based foods for consumptio n/market. Transportation of farm produce (cassava roots/stem cuttings) is by motorcycles, bicycles. pick-up vans, buses-, cars, lorries. trucks: and wheelbanows. People come ftom within and outside the state to 路 buy cassava morsfproductb. particularly on the market day of each community.

Research approach A combi nation of p rimary and secondary data was used in the prepa ration of this repo rt. Secondary d ata consisted of published/unpublished reports, documentation , ne\\'spaper reviews , sta tem ents, and co mm enta ries relating to ["he subject marter. Primary data were obtained \\'i th Ihe checklist (questionnaire) from JITA On ne. Alllhe respondents were stakehold ers in caSS:1va processing developmenr and promotion. They included the community (rural) cassava farmers, cassava processing equipment fab rica to rs, agricultural institutions, 2S

financial and credit insliturions, AKADEP, registered coopc:ralive societies and associations, NGOs, cassava roots processors, cassava rooes/products marketers/traders, etc.

Selection of participating communities The survey team used the 2002 and 2003 cassava production data obtained from AKADEP to select the h ighest cassava producing LGAs in each of th e three senarorial wnes (Uyo. I kat Ekpene. and Eket) of rhe state (Append ices I and 2). T he LGAs a re Etiman. Ini. and Okodo. From each of these selected LGAs. the three hi ghest cassava root producing communities were selected fo r the survey (Table: I) . As shown in Table 1, the research team decided to select one com munity (Ikot Eyo) from N sit Ubium LGA d ue ro the high level of cassava production in the LGA. and selected two communities (Ikot Udo Abia and Ikot Akpa [Ezel Efa from Etinam LGA).

Table 1. Local government areas (LGAs) and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Akwa Iborn State.

Senalorial di suie r

LGA

Community

Iko! Ekpene

In i

Asantin Utitikpe

1m Mbonuso Nbri (Ikot Ef/iong) Uyo

E[inam

Ikat Udo Abia Ikat Akpa Eze (Efa)

Nsit Ubium Eket

Ikot Eyo

Okabo

Nung Uk.na Ekpenukim Eta Okopedi Odobo

Data collection and analysis The survey ream. in the company of a. least two AKADEP technical field staff. went to each community. They took the survey .eam to .he community head/contact farmer wher< the interviews were to be conducted for the rural farmers in each community (Appendix 3). Before [he incerview started, [he survey team coordinator (xplained the reason for their visit. In each comm unity. AKADEP fi eld staff interpreted the questions from English to Ibibio or Anang or Eket language dependin g on the senatorial zanellocal government a rea. In alJ the communities, men , women , and youths turned up en masse to welcome the survey team despite the short notice given. The heads of financial institutions at Uyo were also interviewed. The staff ofAKADEP. New Nigeria Foundation (an NGO based in U yo). Safe Food Ltd. CEo which deals in med ium-scale cassava processing. and equipment fabrica tors were also in lerviewed .

Main findings Community level needs assessment Ikat Ekp ene senatorial zone Cassava com modity selected for SME. Gnriis (he main cassava product in the t hree com~ muni.ies (AsaO[i Uti.ikpe, Itu Mbo nuso. and Nbri Ikot OfTong) surveyed in Ini LGA.

Juju.

Other c.:assava prod ucts processed a re tapioca. and wrapped fi1'u. In addition {Q (hese, cassava root is processed ioro porridge in Asanrin-Uritikpe. and starch, akaro. and gOTi in IlU Mbol1uso . All the three commullilies sdecred gari fo r SME, because it is eJsy to prepare and has a ready ma rket.

Commun ity kn owledge ofequipmentfabricators. The fa rmers wanted in reg rated machinery for their selected cassava product. H owever , they did om know where to obtain rhe equipment or 1(5 cost. Availability ofcassava roots aruJ production costs. The source of cassava roots will be from th eir own and neighbu ring com m unities. T hey emphasized th eir willingness to consiste ntly supply cassava roots. The productio n cost of Clssava roors was the sa me in hu Mbonuso an d Nkari bm cheaper in Asanrin Utitikpe. T he cost of land was cheapest amongst (he three commun ities surveyed in ln i LGA. The p rice of fresh cassava roots in Asanti Utitikpe was lower rhan in ,hat Nkari (lkot OfTongl, bu. cassava disease infection is on the high side because they have no t adopted the resistant variet),. Nonexistence of storage facilities for fres h roots and produclS reduces quantity of products produ ced by the fa rmers. In Nkari communi ty, the farm ers grow m orc rice and cocoa rhan C3SSava. though rheywere willing ro supply cassava roots fo r the projecr. Labor COSt was [he same in all t he three commun ities . Cost ofland was cheapest in Itu Mbon uso. followed by Nkari-Ikor OfTo ng (Table 2).

Table 2. The costs of processing gari in Ikot Ekpene senatorial zone. As<lntin~Urir j kp e

Cost of 25 kg cassava roots Peelin g Grating Fryi ng Firewood Price of standard bas in of gari D <lily wage rare (no food)

Cos< of, plo. on and (50 x 100 It)

(N)

Itu Mbonuso (N)

Nk"i (Ikot Offong) (N)

350 100 20 50 50 00 300 {women} 500 (men ancl yowhs) 200000

500 50 30 100 190 600 300 (wom en) 500 (mell and youths) 25 000

500 50 50 50 40 750 300 (women) 500 (men and you.hs) 2 5000

Sale of cassava and cassava products. People from neighbo rin g states, LGAs. and com路 munities buy the cassava productS biweekly and weekly according to the market/days in all th e three locatio ns. T he ma in markers for these transactio n are located at Uyo, Ikat Ekpene,

Aba, Eket, Mkpat En in , Ederebo, Ikpe Ikot, and Nkon (or Asantin-Utitikpe community. Fo r ltu Mbonuso community the market locations are at Uyo. Ikot Ekpene. Aba Umuah ia. and Ikpe; whil e they are at Uyo, Ikot Ekpene. Ariara, and Aba for N kari (l kot Offong) . Constraints to cassava processing. In all the three com munities. the major co nstrai nts to cassava processing were no navail ability of equip ment. cassava di sease infection . and fin an ce. Ar fru Mbonuso . the respondenr pointed o ur thar a glu t in gari supp ly was also a cons trai nt to large -scale process ing. They do not own a tra ctor neither could they hire one. They do not have' fun ctio nal or registered assoc iario ns. cooperatives, NGOs, nor inves[Q ( gro upsl indi viduals w ill ing to fin ance processin g o r traerorization. Willing1less to own cassava processing plAnt. The community w as ready to source for a [0 esta bl ish a gari pro cess ing plant. T he peopl~ at Asami -Urltikpe and Itu Mbo nuso were ready to build a processing plant and the project immediately commenced. but the people at N bri preferred to start wi thin 3...{j months. Asantin t.:ti ( ikp~ Community has a Wo men Development Asso ciarion . Itu Mbo nuso and Nkari Ikot Offong have a multipurpose coo perative socie ty. The Asantin Uritikpe people engage in cassava processing, while the Itu Mbon uso an d Nka ri-Ikot Offong people loan

lend money to members and are engaged in cassava production/process ing. All the groups levy their membe rs in order to fin ance the ir activities . Other associations were Nka M kparawa Asso ciatio n, U tirikpe in Asam in Utitikpe and Nka El izabeth Farmer's Ass ociation and none at Nkari. The eco nomic aClivities each has successfully carr ied out are rent ing chairs fo r Asanti Utitikpe. granting lo an s to members for hu Mbonuso~ but no ne for Nkari Ikot

OfTong. All the group' were willing ro engage in commercial cossava processing. All of them selected gari as the cassava product. They were all willing to take loans, which would be repaid in inStal menlS. while the president would be the guaranto r for the loan package.

Plant oW>l",hip preferences, The preferred ownership of rhe factoty/plant would be the community in Nkari (Ikot O ffo ng) . but in Asantin-Utitikpe an d Itu Mbonuso. the cooperative groups would own the plant.

Availability of land and other supporting infraltructltres, Land is available in all the communities surveyed in Int LGA .and the farmers have access to it . T he three communities did not have electricity. though local streams provide water to all of them. Unlike others. 1m Mbonuso had access路 (arred roads. None of them had communication or storage racilities hut mean s of transportation (moro rcycles , bicycles. and vehicl~s) are the same: in all three communiries. The stream in Itu Mbonuso is near large contiguous farmland and does not

dty out during the dry season. The road is level.

Managing cassava ",aste, Wh ile [he respondents at Asantin-Uritikpe have no idea of the environmental problems caused

cassava processing, the people at 1m Mbonuso and

Nbri (Ikot Offong) we re aware. In all the com munities, they explained th at the cassava waste was usu ally thro wn away into waste dum ps:.

Uyo senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. The major cassava product in the three communit ies surveyed is gari. Othe r cassava products produced are fofo , ta pioca, an d wrapped fofo; at Iko t Udo Abia, fiif", sta rch , and po rridge; and allko t Akpa Ese (Ha) an dfitfo, tapioca, and porridge at Ikm Eyo. W hile Ikot Udo Ab ia selected gari, Ikot Akp an Ese (Efa) chose st<l.cch and Ikor Eya chose ch ips. T he main reason for all the choi ces were export market and increase income: genera tion from the SME ventu res.

la rger the

Community knowledge ojI'qllipment fabricators. Non e of the commll n i t ie~ kn ew w here ro ohrain eit her the required equ ipment or its cost. All the co mmu nities gave strong assu rance to cons isten dy supply cassava fOOts and indicated the ir wil lingness to supp ort the proJect. Availability of cassava roots and production costs. Two of t he selected locations (l kot Udo Abia 3nd Iko t Ak pa Ese) said that cassava roots co uld be readil y obtained in their com munity and n eighb oring vi llages, whil e l ko( Eyo said that all rhe cassava roOls r~q ui red could be obtained from within their comm unity. T he product ion cost o r selected products di d nO( vary mu ch. but it was chea pest at Ikot Cda Abi a. Cassava roars were cheapest in lkor Uda Abia when compared w ith the cost of roots in the other two co m mun it ies in Etina n LGA . T hey bo th ha ve mOlorabl e earth roads. Ikot Udo Abia has good cont iguous la nd located at a popular place fo r business. Though the COS t of roo ts in Ikot Eyo is the highest, it has Nitel an d GSM networks. Again, it has a well-orga nized, contiguous cassava farm that produces cassava on a large-scale. bur (he road is rou gh. All the three commun it ies had raw m aterials and were w illing to supply t he project. Lack of storage facilities hampers th e acceptable quantity of harvesting fresh roots, and co nsequ ently only a sm all amo um is produced at a time. In addidon , wage rate was the same in both Ikot Udo Abia and Ikor Akpa Ese (Efa), though highest in Ikot Eyo. In all the comm unities conce rned , the CO St of a plot of land was the same. Table J. The costs of processing gar; in Uyo senatorial zone.

Cost of 25 kg cassava roots PÂŤling Grating

Frying Firewood Price of standard bll in of gori Da.ily wage rate (no food)

CoS( of a piC! of land (50

lC 100 (l)

Ikar Udo Abia (N)

Ikol Akp' E" (Ef,)

IkOi Eyo

(N)

(N )

25<1 50 20 100 50 500

500 50 50 50 50 700

700 50 40 50 50 IQOO

500 (wom('n)

500 (men and you.hs)

500 (women) 500 (men :m d youths)

400 (women) 600 (men and youth s)

25 OOO

25 000

Sale of cassllva al1d cassava products. AJI [he three commu iliries revea led th at people from neighboring SlateS, LGAs. and communities pu rchased their cassava products from them weekly and biweekly de pending on the market days. T he c1iem s purchasing cassava prod uC[s ill lkot Udo Ab ia were mainly frolll Etinan, Uyo and Mpafi; bur those buying from Ikot Akpa Esc were from Uyo. Port Harcourt. Ndem I kpe. and Ese. The clients purchasing cassava and cassava producrs from Ikot Eyo wtre from Eket. Uyo. Etinam. Oron, and t..:d ueso ma rkets.

Corlstraints 10 cassava p,路ouss;ng. The major constraints in the rhree communides as (hey affect cassava processing we ce nonayailability of eq uipment an d in adequate financial capab ilities. No.ne of th e comm unities had its own traecor. ralher, lkot Udo Abia and lkot Eyo communities hired tractors from MANR and AKADEP in Uyo.

Wil1;ngness 10 own cassava proceSJ;ngplant. All the three communiries have functional an d regis rered associations and werc ready to obtain a lo an for the cxpansion of rheir cassava processing activiti es through thei r associations. Iko r Uda Abia Community in Erinan LGA has a cassava associat ion (Nka Iwa Association) w hose main econo mic activity is to plant/process cassava roars. Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) in the same Etinan LGA has a cooperative society thar rems ou[ chairs as their majo r economic activity. In Nsit Ubium LGA. they have Ikor Eyo Coopera tive Society. The members plant cassava/process cassava as their economic acrivity. Another cooperative society ex ists in Ikot Uda Abia and a Christian

association also in Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) . but there is none in Ikot Eyo. and they perform the same economic ac tiv ities as other ones already discussed. All the groups claimed to finance their activities through levying their members. N one of th em has suectssruJly canied out any economic actlviry, though all of them we re \" ill ing to ellg-.lge in commercial cassava

processing activities for gay; in Ikot Udo Abia. starch in Ikot Akpa Ese (Era). and chips in lkot Eyo communiries . All the commu nities ind icated their willingness to start the project as soon as possible,

part icularly as from August/Septem ber 2004. All the cooperative associations were willing to take a loan. which will be repaid in instalments. The presidents of the different groups would be guarantors to the loan package.

Punt ownersJJJ'p preferences. T he people emphasized rhat [he cassava processing fa ctory! plane shou ld be owned by th e cooperarive/com mun iry .

Availability o/Iaud and other supporti"K infrastructures. All the co mmunities su rveyed in the LGA agreed that much farmland was available and thar they have access to it. They all have electricity, but while IkOl Eyo and Ikot Udo Abia have streams and boreholes. Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) only has a stream. All of them have the same means of transponat ion (motorcycles. bicycles. aOld vehicles). but no storage facility. However. Ikot Eyo has GS M and a post office that hastens comm unication. The eart h road in Ikot Udo Abia was good and it extended to rhe large farm land. Both Ikot Udo Abia and Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) are close to rarmac ro~ds.

~14naging cassava waste. The community farmers concerned were aware of th e problems caused by cassava processing. The liquor is deposited in pits, while the solid is fed to animals or converted to manure.

Eket senatorial zone CalSflva com11l0dityselecledfor SME. The major cassava product in the three communities (Nung Ukana, Ekpeneukim Era Okopedi, and Odobo) surveyed in Oko bo LGA was gari., Nung Ukana , Ekpenellkim Era Okopedi, and Odobo selected flour. starch. and gari, respec rively. for SME because the), have the skills for the first and seco nd products. though the thi rd product was chosen for export purposes.

Commll.'n ity knowledge of equipment fabricators. All the concerned communities in Okobo LGA did not know where to obtain rhe machinery for their ,deered cassava product or the COst. The concerned brmers in this LGA were willing and promised to supply cassava fOOLS from their communiries consistently.

Availability of cassava roots and production costs, Production COst is highest in Ekpenukim Eta Okpedi. Wage rate was the same in all communities. though higher in Odobo community. Land and fresh cassava roots are cheapest in Odobo community when compared \",ith the other two communities. Again the price of cassava fresh roots is lower in

Odobo than in the other rwo communities (Table 4). Sale 0/cassavllllnd CilSsava products. Cassava and cassava products werc costly in Ekpenllkim Eta Okpedi. The products were cheapest in Nung Ukana and were purchased by people w ithin and outside the Sl'are weekly or biweekly according to market days.

Constraints to cassava processing. The major constra ints ro cassava processing in a1l the seicted locations were nonavai lab iliry of appropriate equipment and limited finance. The communities have no tractor but usually hired one from MANRIAKAOEP.

Table 4. The costs of processing

COSt of 25 kg Peeling

ca~va roots

Gr~ting

Frying Firt:\N'ood Price of standard basin of gdri Daily w:lge rate (no fo od)

CoSt of a plot ofland {50 )( 100 fd

gar; in Eket senatorial zone. Nung Ukana

Ekpeneukim Eta

Odobo

(N)

Okop<di (N)

(N)

500 100 30 100 100 800

500-900 80-100 30 100 100 900

700 50 100 100 60 1000

500 (women) 500 (men and youths)

700 (womrn) 700 (men and youths)

20000

30000

75000

Willingness to own cassava processing plant. All ("he surveyed communi ties in me LGA we re wi lling to source fo r processing plane through a loan. Out of the th ree com mun ities surveyed in Okobo LGA. only Odobo comm unity has a functional and registe red mu hipurpose coo perative sociery. Me mbers engage in gari processing. T hey tevy m emb ers to ach ieve some of rheir activi lies. T he economic activity (h ey have successfull y carried O UI is chlfi ty to the needy. They wtre willi ng to acquire a loan for gllri p ro cessin g an d t he lo an wou ld be repaid in inslal ments. T he Pres ident will be the guara ntor for the loa n pac k. T he o the r associ,HioH in O do bo is Dynami c W omen Associa tio n, wh ich perfo rms sim ilar activ it ies. 'The farmers wen: read)" to build rht: processing p lant and wished ro stan in Novembe r 2004 . Plnnt oW1!ership preferenres. In Nung Ubna an d Ekpeneuk im Era Okopedi . they pre'erred the comm un ity to ow n rhe plant. but in Odobo. they preferred the O dobo Cooperati ve Socielyto have ownersh ip. AvailabJ'[ity oflnnd and other supporting infrastnlCl'J~res, Contiguous farmland was aV~til足 able and farmers had access co it. Electri ci ry , strea ms, GSM , anu good mea ns of rranspo rt ex ist in ail . he commun it ies. Odobo has (jured roads wh ile th e other two com mu nit ies have earth roads. In Odobo , th e stream is not seaso nal.

Managing cassava wllste. All the comm unities were aware of the cn .... ironmen t:l l problems caused by cassava p rocessing, The liquor is depositd into pits whi le th e solid pa rts were used as manure o r an imal feed .

Institutional Ilnd political support, It is impo rtant co indicate that in all the communities surveyed, non e of them has any insritutio nal suppo rt. This may be lack of cr~a tio n of sufficient awareness for th e rural fa rmers. Again. it may be due co Jack of sec ur ity for the fi nancial/cred it institutions in the rural areas co ncerned.

Finan cial institutions/ banks The research team visited three ban ks. al l located in Uyo. the state capital. T hey were Uni ted Bank For Afri ca Pic. 7-18. Aka Road. Uyo Akwa Ibom State; Unio n Bank Pic. 2. Barrack Road. Uyo. Akwa lbom Stare; and the Nigerian Agri cultural Coope rative and Rural D evelopment Bank ("'ACRDB) 9 . O ron Road. Uyo. Akwa lbo m State. These financial insdturions in Cyo give shoft# and long- rerm loans to fa rmers. However, interest rates vary among the banks. WhercJ.s UBA was no{ very su re of the present illter~st rare for farmers' loans. it emphasized (har it wou ld not exceed [he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) interest rare; while Un ion Bank Pic an d NAC RDB had 6 and 8%. respectively. Nevertheless, disb ursement and re payment of loans are o n an instalm ent basis or arre r a gestatio n pe riod in th e case of repayment. In NACRDB. repayme nt terms were mo re flexible. Shon-term loan repayme nt could be 12-15 mo nths or start when the gestation period is over after] 0 months or w hen the gcsra{ion period is over ) or wirhin ] 0 momhs.

AJI fi nan cial houses visited were wi ll ing to give lo;ms to [he rura l Farmers fo r this projecL U BA and U nio n Bank were ready to spo nsor gari processing provid ed there was a representatio n fro m II T A to the headquarters. NACRDB gave no restri ction s hu t in terms of produces and procedure. All [h e banks pointed out that n.'lease of l o~lns when the mai n project period was ove r and th e l:lck of interes t and courage o n lhe pan of rarme.路s [0 take loans we re seriolls pro blems fO loan procu re me nr. In ;lddilio:l , all the banks :lgreed that Joan di versio n and. inadequacy o f techni c.::l l :1dvise rs 拢0 the f:lrmcrs on proj ect ma n3gc me ll t we re se rio m const:-aints in loan managt mtnr o perations . All the three fllullcial ill stitl a io ll5 visited colla bo ra te with govern men r :l nd NCO!) in thi s se rvice in th e com munit y/s late .

Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Program (AKADEPj AKAD EP i~ the maj o r governm ent agricu hural ex tension p:a rastatal in th e Slate. It is responsib le fo r oITeri ng special training to fa rmers in the sta le on the latest agricultural techno logy. Govern mc.: n t. NGOs, national an d internatio nal o rganizations, associa tion, agencies, n co depend o n AKADEP fo r the sup ply of agricultura l statistics/ plann ing daw o n production, processin g, preservation, storage, distr ibutio n, and marketing of farm produce. AKADEP has m any sub ject-m atter special ists in various areas or agti culture. prod uctioll. processing. marke rin g. erc. T hou gh AKADEP has done a lot to diffuse the latest techno logies in agricultu re (0 rura l rarmers , it still h a~ quite a lor [0 do with respect to storage and preservation in the state/co mmunities. Su rfi cie nt awareness and a more cond ucive environ ment need to be created to attract fi n;m cial/ ctedit institutions in the rural areas of Akwa Ibom State. So me co mm un.iries, whose cas,~ va crops suffer from disease in recrion, need ( 0 be sup plied w it h res istan t varieties to susta in a viable projecr o n cassava processing in that co mmunity.

Nongovernmental organizations INGOsi The New Ni geria Foundation (NNF) faci litates production of diversi fi ca tion of cassava for bot h ind ustrial and do mestic use. The NNF agriculrural competitive prog ram pro motes production. processing. market ing , and uti lizat ion of ag ricultu ral products in w hich ril e communities have co mpetitive adva ntages. The CtOpSorrocus are usually th ose (hat contributed signi fi canriy to food security andlo r income gen eratio n in th e commu nity. T he process they adopt involves u ndertak ing an integrated co mpeti tive and fea!'iib ili ty a nalysis lead ing to development of a p roductio n. processi ng. and m arket ing program for the selected crops. T hey involve co mpet itive cluster that includes participant farmers, pro cesso rs, t ransporte rs. and eq uip m~nt fab ricatOrs in the business revolvin g atound th e cro p selected . It supp li es water and electricity to rural areas. They have a d rug revolving scheme in the rural areas. In Akwa Ibom State, the project has successfull y planted several hecta res of cassava crops, wh ich we re ready for harvesti ng. The major constraint NN F has in Akwa lbom State is accessibility t o the communities . NNF finan ces ilS act ivities/services through many national and international organi zatio ns such as [he Bill and Mel inda Gates Foundation ; the Packard

Fou ndat ion; Exxo n Mobil; Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC); Conoco Energy Nigeria Lim ited; and Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers state governments. NN F gets feedback from its technical field staff quarrerly. O th er organizations collaborate with NN F in

"lOt

these services to ,he communiries arc Sl ate governments and commu ni ty committees.

Major/equipment fabricators in communities/state In all th e co mmun ities surveyed . the re were no majo r equipment fabricamfs ~x:cep t in Iko( Ucla Abia commu nity in U yo senatorial zo ne \II,here Slaud Peters '\'as menti oned though he had travel ed out at the tim e of interview. Perhaps. ,h ere was insufficiem awareness for th e fabr icaro rs on o ne hand and the cassava processors on the orher.

Ability Construction (Nig.) Enterprises is owned and managed by Pacrick Udo m and is a small-scale eq uipment fabricatot located at 12, Uyo Road, Ikot Ekpene. He fa bricates the cassava gr.arc r, press , d ryer. sieve. ilnd grinder. H e has no co nsnaints in his busin!:ss

because :J. generator is available as back up ror e1ectrici[), o utage and he has access to the funds required to run his business. He engages in after sales services bur canno t maintain Ot repair a rotary dryer. Most of his equipmenr costs between N20 000 and N30 000 with capacities rang ing from 2 to 5 mnnes. He has been on th e job for 15 years and was willin g to train others. He had (Wo worke rs and eight apprentices working wit h him. H e could readily replicate other equipment and gives a six-month guarancee o n his equipment. He can manufacture [wo graters dai ly.

Centurion MetAl Cons/ruction Works is owned and ma naged by Monday O. Sampson. It is located at 9 7, Uyo Road , Ikot Ekpene. The equipment fabticated include grater, sieve, fryer , and press. He has back up fo t electriciry outage an d has acc,",s to funds requ ired to run his business. He carries out after sales services and has {'he abi liry (Q repair orher equipment such as a rotary dryer. A grater com N25 000 an d a press costs between N35 000 and N40 000. The grate r has a capaci LY of 2-5 tonnes. He has been on the job for seven years and was ready to train others . He was Cl. lso ready to proceed on further training to im prove his skill s. He had an emp loyee and four app"'ntices. He would be glad to receive further financia l support and ca n fcad it}' replicate other equipment. He gives a six-month guarantee 011 hi s wo rk and can manur-acrure two graters daily. Ubonon Metal \\i'o/路ks is owned and managed by Michael Boniface of208 Abak Road, Uyo. H~ fabricates the cassava grater and press. His major constraints were electricity outage and inadequ:He runds. He provides arter sales service to customers and can maimain and repair other equip ment. A single unit gra t芦 COsts Nl6 000 , wh ile a double unit costs N25 000. The press COstS betweelL N25 000 and N30 000. The capaciry of the grate r is 2 tolLnes/day while that of the press is I tonne/day. He has 10 yea" experience on the job and was ready co train others and be trained. He currently employs twO staff and has one apprentice. He needs a loan and can replicate other equipment. He' gives a six-month guarantee and can manufacture twO graters per day.

Oko-Umllojill Sons b-on W"'ks is owned Jnd mJnJged by Etim Akpa n U moh of IDa Ikat Ekpene Road, Uyo. The cqui p mel1ÂŁ fabr ic ncd include th e grater, fryer, and press. The main constraints were elecn icity o u tage an d limi ted (inan cC'. He provi des afte r sales services to Cllscomers and has th e ma intenance abiliry for other cquipmcnr. The costs of eq uipm ent v.lry between N I6 000 and N30 000 with capacities varyin g belween 1 and 2 [annes/day. He has 35 years ex perience an d can train others as wel l as be trained . He had two emplo yees an d eight app rentices. H e need s a loan to improve his b us iness. He look an SMIS loan (NIO O 000) . w h ich he repaid Jt N300 interest J mollth within two years. He has the ability to replicate other equipment and gives a gua rantee of up to six months on his equipmenr. He ma nufactu res Ih ree graters dail y.

Chert E"gineering (Nig.) Ltd is owned by Imo J. Akpakpa and located at 19 Gibb Street, Uyo. The equipment fabriclted are the grater, press, dryer. and pel lcring machine. The gra ter and press arc the major equipment fabricated. T here 110 major const raints associ~ ated with his job. He provides after sales services to customers and has local maintenance ab ility fo r o ther eq uipment. T he cost of the grate r (capacity 1.5-5 tonnes/day) was N20 OOO- N50 000 and th at of a press (capaciC}' 2 mnn es/day) was N20 000-N50 000. His has 25 years experience o n the jo b and was ready to train o thers a nd l"O go for further training. He has Gvc skilled workers an d 12 appren tices. He wo ul d be happy to take a loan. He can manufacture 3-5 grJters a day and gives a six-month guarantee on his machines.

Safe Food Cooperative Limited is a medium-scale integrated cassava processi ng factory. The factory h" eight skilled/subjea specialist staff and eight Jpprentices. Eight equipment were housed in a buildin g w ith dimens ion 70 fr (lengt h) , 25 ft (w idth), and IS ft (height). Daily. he processes 1- 2 tonnes of cassava roots and produces 2 tonnes. Thc monthly [Urn over is N62 000- N BO 000 . The sup p ly of cassava roots fluc tuates acco rdin g to season. The facmry capacity is 2 tonnes. Factory cost price for cassava fresh roots is N220-N250/25kg, The q uanriry [he facrory demand s daily is 3- 15 IOnnes/week, The di sta nce from facrory to markel is 20 km from the commun ities and 5 km from the markt.":t. T he company has been interviewed by the N igerian Agency for Food and DrugAdministration and Control (NAFDAC) , and was awaiting approval. Problems enco untered on an in let basis are seasonal varia t io n in cassava root supply. finance. smrage, and tran sportation a nd there wa s no problem in ouder. T he products fro m caSSJ\'a produced by Safe food C oopera tive Limited, include: gari, flour, and cassava confectionary (bn~-ad , me,at / fi sh pies, chips, flakes, chin chin, dou ghnuts, etc. ). C .lssava product s are sold on a daily basis. Safe Food Cooperative Limited receives assistan ce from UNDP and AKADEP. It also receives publici ty through the RJW Moterial Research and Develo pment Council. UNDP. NNf, Jnd AKADEP . The fa ctory otTers (rdining se rvices, a nd repli cates equipment/maintenance.

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Profitability of gari processing in Akwa Ibom State In rh e three selected com munities (Asa nt in Utitikpe. leu Mbo nuso, and Nkari Ikm Offong) of Ikot Ek pene senatorial 20ne. th eir Be R (bcnefit- cost ra tios) were 1.37: I. 1.15: 1, and 1.23: 1. res pectively. This mCJ. I1 S thar rhe highest profit may be derived from Asanti U t i[ik pe. fi)lI owed by Itu Mbo nuso and Nbri Ikot OfTo ng. All the communities were able to "bn.."':a~ evtn ". However. oGserva t ions may still be taken into accou nt 10 a rrive at a neurral h lll bi:lScd decisio n. In liya scnarori;) l1.one, the communities were Ikor Ucla Abia, Ikot Akp. Ese (Ha) for Et im" LGA, and Ikot Eyo [or N,it U biut11 LG A wi th the fo llowing cor responding benefir-cos( ratios: 1..18: I , 1. 27: 1, an J 1. 10: 1. respect ively. Iko t Udo Ab ia had [he h ighest profi t. followed Iko[ Ak pa Esc (EI;,) and Iko[ E)'o . Profits Jre made fro m al l the th ree commun ities even dlOUgb the profits arc ;lt different levels as mem ionco 3UOYC. N eve rrhdess, ob~ervar ion s were r;~k('n int o account to take depe nda ble d Lc i.sions. 1:1 Ekcr senato rial zC)m", th e thre e co mmuniti es surveycd were ~ung Uk:t n:l, Ek pc neukim Era Okopedi . and O doho with rhe Fo llowing correspond in g bcncf,[- cost rat ios: 0. 9 1. 1. 1. 13: ~. and 1. 10:1. respectivel y. un g Ukana could no t "br<::ak even" that is, it coulJ not p<l)' \\!ages o r production in purs. Ek peneuki m Eta Oko pedi was the hi ghesr followed by Okobo. H owever, observations would be cOl1side:-ed before a d ecisiDn is taken .

w ...,

14.64

5.36

1.37: 1

Revcnuc/ (sd ling price) (N/kg)

Gross margin (N/kg)

Bcnefit-cost r::J.tio

3.67

Utitikpc

Asamin

Total cosr of gan production (N/kg)

(N/kg)

Cost of processing gan

Community

LGAs

Senawrial zo ne

1.15: 1

3.08

73.08

20.00

4.67

Itu Mbonuso

lni

1.23: 1

4.02

21.42

17.41

3.00

Nkari

Ikor Ekpene

1.48: 1

5.41

16.66

11.26

7.60

Iko[ Udo Abi.

Uyu

1.27: 1

5.52

26.00

20.48

8.00

Ikot Akp. Esc (Efa)

Etinam

Ta ble 5. Gros s marg in an a lysis for gar; prod uc tion in Akwa Ibom State.

Nsit

1.1 0: 1

2.22

25.00

22.78

7.60

Ikot Eyo

Ubi ulll

0.9 1: 1

2.23

22.88

25 .09

13.2

Nung Uk.n.

1.13:1

3.64

30.00

26.64

13.6

Et.Okepedi

Ekpeneukim

Okudo

Ek<r

1.10: 1

2.71

28.57

25 .86

12.4

Odobo

Recommended sites and products In Uyo senatorial zone, Ikot Udo Abia has an advantage over Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) and Ikot Eyo on the COSt of fresh roms. Fresh cassava rootS arc cheapest in lkor UJo Abia. It has a better road than Ikot Eyo and Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa). Large contiguous land is near their home and market. The cost of roOtS in Ikot Eye is highes t amongst .he three commu nities concerned; though it has a large organized cassava farm. T he cost of fresh roOIS in 1ko[ Akpa Ese (Efa) is high and it has no organized cassaYa farm. They were willing to engage in the cassava processing project JUSt li ke [he other rwo communities. In Ikat Uda Abia. the products available are gari, Juju, tapioca, and wrapped /ufi' and they seleered garl for SME. In Ikot Akpa Ese (Efa) products include gari, Jufi" starch, an d porridge; and starch was selected for SM E. At Iko t Eyo, the prod ucts availablo were gari,fi,ji" tapioca, porridge, and chips. They chose chips for SME. In Ikot Ekpene, Itu Mbonuso is on the rarmac road . The community/market are near each other. T herefore, transportation of products to the market will 110( be a serious problem . h is located berween Asanrin Utitikpe and Nkari commun ities , and it was easy for the other twO commun iti es to supply fresh cassava at IN Mbonuso . Cassava crops here were of improved varieties and healthy. Though Asanril) Uritikpe proinised (Q consistently supply fresh cassava, there was serious cassava disease infection. which must be settled first , including low adoption ofimpruved . disease-resistant varieties. Nkari ~ lkot Offong engages in rice/cocoa production in add itio n to cassava; the processing of the lasr two crops comes up almost at the same time. Asamin Utitikpe has gari. Jufo. tapio ca. w rapp ed fiifu, and porridge. They selected g,,,i for SME. Itu Mbonuso produces gari,fi'fil, tap ioca, wrapped jiifi" starch, and akara balls. T hey selected gari fo r SME. Nkari-Ikot Offo ng has gari,fiifi" tapioca. and wrapped juju. Gari was their choice for SME. In Eket senatorial zone, Odobo is on a tarmac road and centrally placed between the other two communities. The community and market 3re quite close and this makes transporration eas~路. Again a plot of land was cheapest in Odobo when compared with the other two communities. Fresh cassava roots were cheapest (here because a standard basin measure of25 kg was sold for N500-N800 in N ung Ubna, N500-N900 in Ekpeneukim Eta Okopedi, and N 700 at Odobo . H oweve r, ,he cost of a plot ofland was cheaper in Nung Ukana than Ekpe neukim Eta Okopedi . Nung Ubna produces gftri,jiifU, starch, tapioca, Aour, and akara balls. They selected Aour for SME. Ekpeneukim Eta Okopedi produce garl, juJu, tapioca, starch, and wtapped juJu. They selected starch for SME. Odobo has gari,JuJu, tapio ca, starch, porridge, and wrapped Juju. They chose gari for SME.

Observations In all the communitiessurveyed,gari was first, foll owed by juJu and tapioca both in volume of production and imporrance. Six communities chose gari for SME. The communities have the expertise and the lea) to produce gari. The clients for gari were from within and outside [he state, so {here was a ready marker fo r the product. The problem here was how to meet up with customer demand. Two communities chose Bour for SME. For the mean time. [he product has no clien ts or experdse for its production . They memioned it for 38

export purposes. There was need for irs marker within (he Slate. However) (here is a market for it in Anambr3./Enugu states, and western/nonhern s(ates of Nigeria. This means that training will be arranged for the communities concerned to enable them to acquire the skills necessary fo r high qualiry flour prod uction . Only one communiry chose cassava chip production. Again, it was not one of the commo n products produced by the community. They chose chips for t!xpo rt. Besides, there was no market for it within the state. However, the western/northern states of Nigeria ma y be (he clients for chips. The community needs to be trained to enable it to acquire rhe necessary skjIJs/expertise for the production of high qualiry cassava <;hips. All these ma y delay the take off date of the project and mean extra expenses on t he project too .

Conclusion Cassava is the major cultivated food crop in Akwa Ibom State. Improved varieties of cassava are di ffusing into many ru r;]1 communi ties in the state. The Akwa Ibom State Government is embark ing on aggressive cassava produclion. Though on a small-scale level, tural farmers in Ahva Ibom Srate have diversifi ed the uti fi7.ation of cassava roOtS inw many products. The comm unity farme rs were willing to obt;]in loans through their cooperative associations to enable them to engage in commercial CJssava processing and acquire processing plants. The farmers have large accessible land for cassav;] production and they were willing to sell a plot of land to house the processing plant. There were neither financial/credit institutions nor major fabricators in all the communities. There was insufficient awareness for fa rmers to take loans for cassava processing or ro obtain equipment. Unfortunately, none of the communities had sto rage facilities and the farmers complained that it prevented them from embarking on sizeable commercial production. T he major institution for extension services and training of farmers isAKADEP. Some fina ncial institutions in Akwa Ibom State were willing to give loans to farmers embarking on cassava processing projects. Equipmem fabricators of cassava integrated processing plants were ready to fabricate needed equipment as well as replicate/offet after sales services and train apprentices. NGOs and AKADEP were willing to offer technical training to the rural farmers who would participate in the cassava processing project. Results obtained from the survey showed that Itu Mbonuso and Ikor Udo Abia communities in Ini and ErinanfNsit Ubium LGAs of Ikor Ekpene and Uyo senatorial zones were selected as t he best sites for rhe cassava processing plants; while Odobo community in Okobo LGA was the best in Eket senatorial zone. Gari was found to be the most important cassava product in all the 11 communiries surveyed.

Appendix 1 Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Program 2002-2003 cassava production estimate.

LGA Abak Eti m Ekpo lka OrukAnam Uk:mafun Easrcrn Obolo

Eket Esit Eke! Ibeno Ikot Abasi Mkpat Enin Onn2

Erinan

Nsir Arai Nsir Ibom Nsit Ubium

Essien Udim Ikono Ikot Ekpcllc Inj Gbol Akara Mbo Okobo O ron

Udung Uko Urue OfTong Oruko Besikpo Asman Ibiono Ibom

Itu Uruan

Hectares planted in 2002 ("OOO/ha)

Observed yield in

2.8 2.24 2.8 1 4.35 3.59 1.56 4.88 8.74 3.7 1.81 5.17 1.32 6.55 1.4 1 5.29 1.33 6.42

60.08 18.03 22.62 35.0 1 28.8 12 .55 39.28 40.35 29.78 14. 57 45.64 10.62 52.72 11.35

4.93 2.2 1 7.24 1.82 8.59 9.95 4.03 2.16 3.83 3.2 3.8 1.47 1.25 2.42

2003 ("0001t)

4i .65 10.7 51.68 35.58 17.79 62.3 14.65 39. 14 80 32.44 17.38 30.83 25.75 30.38 11.83 10 19.48

Uyo

Hectares plan ted in 2003 ("OOO/ha)

Observed yid d in 2004 ("0001t)

3.02 2.38 3 4.62 3.8 1 1.63 5.19 9.28 3.93 1.93 6.03 1.4 6.96 1.49 6.29 1.4 6.82 5 2 8 2 9 10.57 4.51 2 4 3.4 4.04 1.57 1.33 2.58

3.02 27.5 34.62 53.39 44.03 IS .83 59.92 56.89 45.39 22.3

69.6 16. 17 GO.43 17.21 72.46 16.29 78.81 57.78 23 .1 92.45 23. 1 54 122. 1 52.1 23.1 46.2 39.2 46.6 18.1 15.3 29.8

Appendix 2 Cassava production statistics in the senatorial zones of Akwa Ibom State (2002-2004).

Se-natorial zo ne

LGA

Cassava product io n 2002-2004 It/hal

Uyo

2.50 1.29 1.45 3.30 5. 79 3.92 1. 52 6.76 5.79

Uruan

Nsi( Arai Ebesikpo Asutan Nsit libi um Ibiono Ibom lru Eti nan Ns it loom Ikot Ekpen e

5.04 1.36 9.01 3.55

Ikot Ekpene Obot Akara

Essien Ud im Etim Ekpo Ika Vkara Fun Oruk Anam Abak

1.56 5.60 1.40

8 .80 10.26

lni Eket

5.04 1.36 9.0 1

Eket O nna N,i t Eket Ibeno Iko t Aba,i Mkpat Enin

3.55 1.56 5.60 1.40 4.27 8.80 10. 26 3.92 2.08

Easlern Oholo

Oron M bo O kobo Vrue Offong Oruko Vdun Uko

Appendix 3 Local government areas/communities selected and interviewed. Senatorial zone

LGAs

Communities

Communiry head/contact farmer

Ikat Ekpene

Ini (I)

Asanlin Urilikpe

Han . Elder Okan A. Usara (Contact farmer)

Uya

(2)

leu Mbonuso

Chief D.vid Akp.n Obio (Community Head) Ch ief H a n. Akp.n Dicksa n (Conlact f.rmer)

(3 )

Nkari (I kot Effoang)

His Royal Highness N y. Uda Ndaeyo (Commu nity H ead)

Ikot Cda Abi.

Elder Enefiok J.mes Okpo (Community 1路lead)

Ikot Ak pa Eze (Efa)

Victor Akpan III(m (CommunilY I-lead)

Nsir Ubium (3)

Ikot Eya

Peter Ben Udofia (Com munity Head)

O kubo (I)

N ung Ubn.

ChiefEffiang Ede< Obong (Community He.d)

Ekpenukirn Era O kop芦li

Chief Edet Onyang (Community Head)

Etill.n (I )

(2)

Eket

(2)

Mr Francis Obong (Contact farmer)

(3)

Odoba

Chief Efliong Ekan (Community Head) Comfort Bassey (Contact farmer)

Ikat Ekpene

Essien

Ikot Akpan lnya ng

Udim (I)

(2)

Clement Akpan Umoren

(Commu nity He.d) IKot Ineme

ChiefChrysanru, Udal,u. (Community He.d)

'-'

Wh Kh nlhrr n '1!pn lur ;" nl tnb~J.e in ,imil u «,JIMmie u"livitit1 in your m mrn uni'Y' Chmll~n Auu... a' ,i"n Ikon Akp.1 ue

(E rl )

II"" Ud.. Ah " Muhipurpm..

AtltlC illlM

I'rrudem

In u.umcm

1", •• lm( nl

How win ,ho; !om be: r(J"id!

1'R'\ldenl

y..

Y..

h)'OW" coopc"ln-.:I ..urxiuion will· in, 10 chllin , 1()lJ1 for ,hi" oKlI..i, )"'

I,,~n !

)urcb

c'm

FOI whICh Uu..lY':l. pntducd

Wh .. wit! S',ur:anIH the

Yo,,,)

rn~mnr.n

"urn" , ' Asw.;I-O ' lio n

Nh Biubcth Nlu Mkp4'a .... ' Ao.onlln Ullllkpc-

N,I

P,e.ilknl

iIiWahll(R' I' rnidefll

11I., .l, n(lI\

G'. "

(;4,;

loL'b ' 0 me:nOeI)

1.t'Yf1"& Ir'IC1I'INolt

FinolllCC

lTW'mixo l"l

1.0," money 10

0cu. hu MMr.lUn

Renti", o( ~ h.iu

uvyinc

Cuuu ,1,)CotJoe' Infecti",n

C",u,v, and 0 11 r,lm fruil p,,>aul"8

Aumin Uuukpc COCOI • .1:...1 nl·

I'd Nil Nil

Nil

I'd Nil

1',1

I'd

N,I

I'd

Nil

N,I

Okopcd i

I' r..s idtrll

l/Ut.Jmcnt

N il

Nil

N il

I'd

mtmhc,(

Nil

No!

Nung Ulw'll

Ek~"f'U ' k'm Era

Ekd O kobo

I'd

I ~ng

f.n~(

Cut..,...... d'leud

11>'3 p.oce"inlt

Itic.c:.

Iknt Offnnr: Nbri

Socwr)'

Coo~rili...:

lI:<'nl ,.,wxUfioll Sociei),

Mul\lpu ,po ~

Nlurc (11:0. Offimg!

Niu 1m, Mulupur p<>~ Coopcta!1''f

IIU Mhonwn

l \ttll Akp:ln Nlfm

Uml k,.~

I/~....

A\.l..,:,n UI I:lkpl \l'omfn [)e,tI(lP-

A_l,' :::1

Ini

I'rnld.-nl

11l.I"lrnen l

y..

Chips

I'd

ltvyin,

l.c')'ItIG rnemikr\

u ryin.

Proc:euint:, njllip:nuu

list tbe economic: ac,i..icic.s you. h.", NCCCSIo.'ully ".!fIred 00,11 Ii your (OUrctl~ UlOCuClon ....JI. in, 10 rn~'J::" i:o C<lCl't m.. rci.! C;I_U ;lVJ prOC:ffi'ng KOno mK ac:I'Vlry'

,hOt ~,ivi,icJ

~~:..;I'· l

F,nance F,n.n"

p ....... n.i"Ii

nf rlla it.

Plar.d nr,lnd

[!wI Akl'~ H ir i ~s

MJco:iJlion

P'OC~\~::lg

p.n-

flrm~r\

11.." fro. N)i, UlHum

rtu n C ..... fI<'wLVf'

L.: {Ei,~

....w.pruli.....

1..:00 Abiz

r~·o:

dUCIJOIl ind

r~":lv:'O

Al"u

II....., VJo

Ik<ll £yo ,m.. lupurf'OS'"

'U1"l"~'K

Nlu

AkjU ~:.,. ( I' (~)

N.i,Ubi!olm fk ..( F.yo>

rr.cmr.c./l

1i"~lI(c

[WI

"'troei.>t :on

II",~

11.,,:, Elpmc"

m~mh ..",

X I;..;, i" How do )'\.IU

In wl)1nS 9\.1\ ,h~K «",(1"'11\1(

Whal probkm$ do yt>u cllp<'uc'fIc(

Wh" tConnmlC Klt";Iir. ) ' r)'Ou cuptw in the ("'II UIIWli'r/\.l~I~ ~

AJII,n.

r-.:~r.'I~ or cUI"lp:any

Ahh

1I..,,(Ic!..

Cn:'!lm unitit'~

wWcl..d

i:lin~JU

lGAoKkmd

Scu:'ilUl i:.l t.utlc

Cooperatives and farmers associations/organizations in Akwa Ibom State.

Appendix 4

Society

~_iali(1n

O)Tumic Wumen

Pruidcn l

[n"~[ ~1

c,." Ya

!.bat" 10 rn.dI'Ibt," :ICfiYilics d-~ril'

i..f'vyirlllMml'w ..

filuncr

[.qlliv rneml

(ruil

PrOCI:UlnS of l"riJ~lm

Nung Aul Odobo

~ruic>n

Odutoa MWlipl,t.p"'t'

Odobo

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Anambra State

Introduction This study \vas set up in Anamhra Scare to undertake a needs assessment in nine representative communities in the s late. The o bjectives we re to set up viable small- or medium-scale cassava processing plants; assess the institutio nal an d political support for the promotion of improved cassava postharvest technologies and expanded mitization in [he scate; evaluate the market for select ed cassava based products at the community. stare. and regional level; and make recommendations for the selection, inr roducrio n and es tablishment of community-based cassava processing plants based o n products, return on investme nt, income generation , and posi tive impact.

DeSCription of Anambra State Anambra Srare. Nigeria. has a projected population of 3 .93 million (based on the 1991 Census figure). It has a total land area of about 4416 square km. About 70% of its land area is arable. It is si ruared. berween longimcies6째 36' and 7째 21' East, and latitudes 5째38' and 6째 47' North, It is lacHed in the humid. rropical rain forest zone. Its neighbori ng stares are Abia, Ddu, Enugu, lmo. and Kogi, The Sla re is made up of21 local government areas, most of which arc agriculturally endowed. It has two main seasons-the rainy and dry seasons. The farme rs practice mainly ra in-fed farming. though they are now into dry seaso n farming using small-scale irrigatio n (u nde r the Fadama program),

Research approach Selection of participating communities The cassava producing LGAs within each agricultura l/senatorial zone were selected for [his study based on data available at (he Anambra Srate Agricultural Develo pment Program (Appendix I). Similarly. the three largest cassava producing communities in each of the selected LGAs: were selected after due consultat ion with field level extension officers. The LGAs and communities selected are shown in Table l. Table 1. Local govemment areas (LGAs) and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Anambra State. Senarorial zo ne

LGA

Anambra North

Oy;

Nleje Umun)'a

Awku7.u

Anambra Central

Awh ;\lorch

Mgbakwu Amanuke Isuaniocha

Anambra Sout h

Orumba North

Ndikdionwu

Omogho Ndiomu

Dolo collection and analysis An interview schedul e (checklist) d eveloped ;Jt I1TA W::J. S u.s ed to gJlher information on producr, ownershi p, viab ilir y. profltah ility. :1Va ilahi lir y. m:ukct, and :1 C; CC5S from rhe selt::CI(:J co mmuniries. The d j ta obtained was used ro describe t ht cu rrent p ositio n of cas~:l\'J processi n g in the vario lls senam rial 7.o m:s of the sr:nc. The dlta was also used to ca rry o ut profi[:lhilir)' :m alysis of th e processi ng of [he difrerenr cassava product's selected hy (he va rious communities vis ited.

Main findings Community level needs assessment Anambra North senatorial zone Cassava commodity selectedforSME. In Nrcjc. the cassava prod ucr pro d;Jccd also include 3dht:sivc Jnd chips (tlch((mgbu ) at low levels. The product sclccred for Sh.1E was starch, which the peo ple SJid, wou ld enahle them to diversify .he use of cassava in the commu ni ty. In Cmunya community, rhe common cassava products wt:.rt:.gari,fiifu. and ab/lcba, but the people selected grrri :1.'1 the SME producr because of rile good m arke t fo r gari in rhe communiry. T he people of A\vkUZll producegl1ri./ufil, Ao ur , abf1chll. and sta rch from cassava, but they chose flo ur for the SlvlE in orde r to diversify the me of cassava in the community.

Community knowledge of eqtt;pment fabriclltors, The machinery required for seiecred products across th e senatorial zone weregari, starch , <lnd cassava flour processing plants. The resp onde nts: from the different co mmunities intend to buy (he diesel engine from Oni tsha an d the other accessories from fabricators also at Onirsha. Availability o/cassava roots and production costs. The respondents from the three commun ities vis ited promised to supply the plant wi th cassava from their farms. They were also \"i lling to support and supply cassava roms to (he plant all year round . CassaV<l is more costly at Akwuzu than Nteje ,md Umunya. However, the overall cost of production for different products (wer search in N(eje. gllri in Umunya, and un fermented cassava Rour in Akwuzu) showed (ha t each ki lo of starch produced at Nteje was more expensive than a ki lo of gar; at LJIl'lllny3 , as \....cll ;IS lhe un[crmcillcd cassava (J our :I t Akwuzu (Table 2) . The need to diversify ca!;s.o1.\'a products shO\\'n in Ntcjc sho uld be backed up with commensurate ret urns so thal disc:nchantm en t will not endanger the project's survival in t he community .

", 'ÂŁlIe of cassava and cassava products. T rade:-s from Onitsha. N kpor , neighboring villages, and indivi dual s m ostl y o n Eke marke[ da ys'H N teje form the mai~ client groups for sta rch in Ntcje. These rransaCl ions rake pbce {',.,ery four days in the sc he du led markc t. In Um unY:L t r~1(t ers fro m On itsha ar.d neighboring co mm ~ :ni( i cs as wel l as :ndividu.:ds buy the gari produ ced in the com munity mos tl y on Afo r ma rker (~:l.ys ar UmllnYJ t:very fo ur days. But at Ak"'WllZ.U , clien ts are limi ted to individual s from neighboring comm uni ties. The marke t is a lso sc heduled every four days ar Nkwo marker in Akwuzu. Nteje and Awkuzu communities. which selected starch and unfermen red cassava flour intend to export the produces and service the local industries. Constraints to cassaVQ processing. The major constldints to processing the selected products in the senatorial zone were nonavailabiliry of equipment. limited finance [0 produce on a large sCJle, and the high cos t of prod uction . Though manua l operations were w idespread in the senatorial zone, in Nteje and Awkuzu, so me farmers hire tractors for land preparation. In Awkuzu, the people h ire tractors from governmenÂŁ (Igbariam Farm Settle ment) , a section of the National Root Crop Research Institute' Um udike and paid NSO OO/da)',

Table 2. The costs of processing cassava in Anambra North senatorial zone.

Nteje (N)

Umu nya (N)

Akwuzu (N)

Cassava product

Wet srarch

Cari

Unfermented wsava Ao ur

Cost of 150 kg t:assava roors

750

Ion

Peeling/washing

750

500

600

Grating/pressing

Starch ex traction

150

Drying

Mill ing/sieving

100

Sifting and frying

260

500

Firewood

100

T ransportari on

Daily wage rare (no food)

750

500

600

Total cost of production

2010

1950

189 1

92.41kg

59.091 kg

56.451kg

250000

150 00

250 000

COSt

ptr unit

CoS! of a plot of land (50 x 100 ftl

Willingn~ss 10 own cassava p rocusing p lant. All rhe comm unities visited were ready (Q so urce fo r processi ng plant through acqu iring a loan. provided the interest rate was not too high. In Nteje co mmunity, individ ual investo rs willin g to fin ance the project were; C hief An aegbob )\; naille. C hief Gabriel Obikwelu. !ch ie H . Ibimmadu. Chief (Sir) M .E.A. Nwakole. and Chief (S ir) Jerry Nwakaob i. In Umunya community. individuals willing 10 finance a cassava processi ng plaor we re Dr C h ikc Ob idigbo. Chrisrop h er Chiweze. Mr Azubu ike Odugwe. an d !chic Francis Odugwe. In Awku2U com m un ity. individuals wi lli ng to fi nance were Mrs Amaka Alm'an ya and Mr Leo nard U ba. T he Awkuzu Traders' Multipurpose Coo perative Societies Ltd~ Awkuzu as well as an investor group, Ezinne \'(Iom en's Group o f Awku2U were also w illing [ 0 own a cassava processing plant. All the comm unities were ready to sta rf building the plant as soon as government was ready (o ne month to o ne year).

Plantownerv.ip pref ......ces. In Nte;e commu nity. ,h e owners hip would be arran ged by , he Nteje D evelopment Union, but at Um unya. the investors will own the cassava processing plant. In Awkuzu. , he h inne Women's Group wo ul d own , he plant.

Availability of land and other supporting infrastructures. All ,he co mmu n i,ies visited have abundanr land available for , he si te of , he pro posed cassava p rocessi ng p lant. In N,e;e. the com mun ity offered O d ibil i bush . Umunya offered Ofia Ugua bush. and Awkuzu offered A1ambalada.

There was electricity ar Nreje (though nor regular) bur not close to rh e earmarked plant house area. There are public (not functional), and private bo reholes. a st ream, well. spri ng. and ranker w;ner supply. The road was good and communication faci lities su ch as GSM and POS t office were ava ilable. The ADP provided a functional yam barn and transporta tion was by bicycle, m otorcycle, bus, picku p, and lorty. In Umunya, there was electriciry but aboUl [wO kilometers from the earm arked planr house. There: is a stream an d sp ring arou nd the plant ho use area, private borehole. and wells. Bur [here are no good roads . Communication is by GSM a nd there were no storage structures, T ransport3rio n was by moto rcycle . bus, pickup , and lorry. In Awkuz.u, there was no electrici ty. but there is a public borehole (though nonfunctional). private bo reholes, stream. and ranker water supply. Then~ were good earth roads and a badly eroded old tarmac road . Transpo rtation was by motorcycle. bus. pickup. and lorry; and comm uni cation faci li ties such as GSM were available, bur there were no sro rage facilities.

Managing casSAva waste. The commun ities \Vere also aWlre of [he environmental problem (odo r) caused by cass.va processing and rhey treat th< waste by allowing it [Q settle. channeling the water into a wasre pit. and collecting the starch as value adde d. In Umunya co mmunity, they compl ained of {he offensive odor and mosquitoes breeding in {he area (they do not ,rear the waste) . They also complained of rodent attack o n rubers , termite attack on stems and CMD, lack of improved cassava srems, fertilizer, and other inpurs. Nteje community co mp lained of the waste being acidic thereby destroying nearby crops.

Anambra central senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. Gari. flour. filji â&#x20AC;˘. and abacha are the common cassava products in Anambra Central senato rial wne. All the selected co mmunities are actively engaged in rheir productio n . In add ition ro these. ,he people of Isuanioch . also produce starch. With res pect to rhe products sdected for th e SM E projecr, both Mgbakwu and Amanuke communities chose gari because of the ready market and quick returns while the Isuan ioc ha community chose r:rhanol to rake adva nrage of [he industrial and export markets for cassava products.

Commu"ity knowledge ofequipment fahri<ators. The machineries required for selected products across the state were for gari and ethanol processi ng planr. The respondents from the different communities intend [0 buy rhe diesel engine and other a ccessories from Oni"ha.

Allailability of cassava roots Ana proauction costs. Cassava roots are readily available in all the communities selected in this senatorial zone. The people of Isuaniocha community chose etha no l production for the SME project, buÂŁ they had no information on the cost and returns regime fo r the product. The zeal to benefit from industrial and foreign cash Row was considered enough motivation in the community to select t his product. In Mgbal-wu alld Amanu ke, the productioll COSf of gari was similar (Table 3).

Sale of cassava and cassava products. Since (th,mol is nOt currently produced at lsU3Il iocha. the respondents could not ide ntifY any client group for it. Thcy were . howeYer,

Table 3. The costs of processing gar; in Anambra Central senatorial zone.

Mgbakwu (1'1) COst of J SO kg cassava roots Peeli ng/washing Grating/ press ing Sifti ng and frying Fi rC\\lood T ransportation Daily wage race (no food) Total cost of productio n COSt per unit Cost of a pla e orl' nd (50 x I 00

r,)

750 350 50 350 100 50 350 1650 50ikg 275 000

lsuan iach. (1'1) ~o

info

No info No info

No info No info No info No info No info

No "info

200000

Am.nuke (N)

750 350 50 350 100 50 35 0 1650 50/kg 200 000

enth usi astic about the prospeC[ of ind ustrialists from places as far away as Lagos patronizing the eth anol p roduced in th eir co mmun ity. In fv1gbaku and Amanuke, traders and individual ho usehold co nsumers from Awka. Aguata. and Agu lu. come to b uy gari from them every fo ur days. These transactions cake place at' kwo market in Magbaku and Afor market in Amanu ke . In this se nato ria l zone, the farme rs were not al lmved to take [hei r products fo r sale outside the co mmun ity. T he respo ndents from these commun ities ~x plai ned that ,he action was taken in order to devel op thei r market, as [h e law encouraged traders an d indi viduals [0 come from oursid~ the com munity to bu y th ei r produ cls. Farmers or prod ucers who go aga inst th is law were made to pay a certain amou nr of money to rh ecom munil)' as a fi ne. T rade rs or indiv idu als (cU)to mers) awa re of this law, price down products ofidenrifi ed defaulters ill markets outs ide th eir com mun iry b ringing losses, frm;trarion, an d shame to such defau lters .

Conftrainls 10 cassava p,路ocessi7lg. The major constrai nts to processing of the selected prod. tlcrs in the se naroria.l zon e \vere lack of eq uipment an d fin ance to produce;: on a large scale as we ll as the hi gh cos r of produclion. Cassava production was by ma nual labor in this se natorial z.one. T he com muniti es do not have access to tractors and could not affo rd to bu y one. \~i";ngness 10 own cassava processing plant. All the com mun ities visited were ready to source fo r processi ng plan t through acquiring a loan provided the interes t ra le was no t coo high. In Mgbakwu, th e Mgba kwu Town Union was willi ng to fi nance cassava processing. In All1anuke com mun ity , the indiv id uals willi ng to finance the processing plant and ;t tractor were lchi e Ozoekwe I1 iemena, Francis Anakwe. Jonat han Nwo),c, and Elias Madubuofu. Also, investor groups such as Ofuobi Women's Group and Farmers Foru m we re also willing to own cassava processi ng plants. In Isua ni ocha community. the Eu. HRH Eze: Igwe Emebo was prepa red to finance cassava processing into eth anol. The member~ of the commun ity emphas ized their patro nage if (he pl:mt was ava ilab le:.

Plant ownership preferences. In Mgbakwu co mmuni ty, [he presidenr general of the community was (0 arrange fo r the ownership . Individ ual investo rs were to arra nge for the ownersh ip in Amanukc and Isuan iocha comm un ities.

Availabilityofumd and other slIJ>porting infrastrr,ctures. In Anambra Central senatorial zone, the com mu niry, except in Isua niocha. own s most of the availab le land. In all cases, howeve r, the commu n ities assured {he team that land was ava ilable fo r a cassava. processing plant. In lv1gbakwu. there was no access ib iliry fO electricity p lant but the president genera l of rhe co mmunity p ro mised to extend electricity to the p b nt. T here is water (bo rehole) both publi c and pri va te as we ll as good ea rth and tarma c roads. Transponario n was by lorry , bus, pickup van. and truck. GSM is avai lab le but there were no storage facilities. In Amanuke. the re was no electricity and wa,rer sup ply was through incli vidu:l1 bo reholes, stream , well, and ranker. There were no good roads (only an earth roa d) bu t transportatio n by bus, motorcycle. :mJ lorry were feasible. Communicatioll was poss ible by GSM but there were no storage facilit ies. In Isuan iocha, elecrricir}, is close (Q the earmarked area for the pla ne Warer ,u pply wa! by publ ic and privare borehole and stream. T he ea rth road serv icin g rhe community was good and rransporrarion WJ.S by bus , picku p, motorcycle, a nd lo rry. Communication is poss ible by GSM but there were no stora ge structures.

Managing cassllva waste. T hey were also awa re of the envi ro nmental problem (offe ns ive odo r) cause d by cas.'iava processing and rh r:y crear the waste by allowing it [0 serrle. chan nel ing th e water into a was re pit. and coll ecting the starch . In Amanuke. {he service centers were located oll[side the town as a result of the odor.

Anombra south sena/orial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. All the sde<:ÂŁed commu nities in Anam bra So u th senatori al zone prod uct.: gorj,fiifu , ohae/lIl, starch. an d flo ur. In the same vein , all of them cho<c grlri (or rhe SME p roject beca use of rhe goo d marker in Ndi kelionwu and Omogho. bur also for its perceived profi rabilir)o' in Ndi om u .

Communi.y knowledg~ of equipment fabricators. The machine ry required fo r selecred produas in this sen:ltorial zone was agari processi ng plan e. The respondents from the different co mmunit ies inte nd m a buy d iesel engine and othe r accessories fro m Onitsha. Availability ofcassava roots and production tosts. Cassava root is available in large quanti-

me:

ties in Anambra South se namr ial zon e. The price of fresh cassava root is the same in all co mmun ities selected for thi s survey. The overall cost of produci nggari is, howeve r, higher in Nd ikelio nu than O m ogho and Ndio mu. Gari production cost was lowest in N diomu (Table 4). T he community promised to supply the planr wirh cassava from [heir farms.

Sale ofcassava and cass"v" products. Throughour the senarorial zone. rraders and individual consumers purchased gari from Ekwulobia. Uga. and Igbou kwu. The rransactions rake place every fo ur days ar Nkwo market in Ndikelionwu and Omogho. but a[ Orie market in Ndiowu. In Nd ikel ionwu. [he farmers were nor allowed [ 0 sell rhe ir products outside the commun ity. T he respondents from these communities explained that .his action was taken in order to devel op their marker. T he law encouraged traders and individuals fro m outside

Table 4. The costs of processing gar; in Anambra South senatorial zone.

Ndik elio nwLl (N)

Omogho (N)

Ndiomu (N)

C OSI

750

75 0

Firewood

700 50 700 100 50 700 2350

500 50 500 100 50 500 1950 59.09/ kg 200 000

400 50 400 100 50 400 1750 53.03 500 000

of 1SO kg cassaV;J roots Peeling/wash ing Grat ing/press ing Sifting ;Jnd fry ing Transporta tio n Da ily wage ralC (nu food ) T olal COSI of produ ctio n Cost per unit

7 1.211kg

Cost of" plol of lan d (5 0 x 100 fI)

200 000

the co mmuni ty [0 buy their producrs. Farme rs or producers who def:lUlt were made ro pay a cerrain a m Oll nt of money to the com m uni ty as a fine. Traders o r individuals (ctls[Q mers) \vho we re awa re of this law. priced down prod ucts of iden tified d efa uhers in markets oU[side their commun ity bringing losses. frustratio n, and shame [0 such defa ulters.

Constraints to cassava processing. T he major constraints in processing selected products in this lone were lack of equip ment and fin ance to produce on a large scale and th e high cost of production . In all th e comm unities visited, cassava productio n was by manual labor.

WiOingness to own cassava processing plant. In Ndi omu, Ndiomu Multipurpose Cooperative Society (regi stered) was willing to finance cassava processing. ]n Omogho. no individual o r cooperative was willing to finance cassava processing or hi re a tractor. They used to have cooperat ive societies, but they were no longer functional. In N dikelio nwu community. only individuals were wi llin g to fin ance cassava process ing. These were Dr Nwene, Engr. Udoekereke, Ch ikezie Oeji, and Eze C. O . Ike (HRH) . Plant ownership preferences. In N dikelionwu communi ry, individ uals in nus( will own the plant for the co mmuni ty. In O mogho commun ity. ownership was to be arranged fo r a group of indivi dua ls to manage the plant for the community. In Ndiomu community, the in vesto r coopera tive society will be in charge of the pla nt fo r the community.

Availability of /and and olh ... supporting infrastructures. Land was availab le in the se nato rial zo ne for cul tivation of cassava. T here was electricity [ 0 the earma rked plane ho use area in Ndikclianwu. There was also a government bo rehole ,hat was nO l fun clio nal, but man>' functional private boreholes. [n addition. there are screa ms, wells, an d tanker water supply. The roild was ta rred and in good condition. Transportation is by bus, truck. pickup. and mOlO rcyde. GSM facilities are available but no stor:lge facililies. In Omogho. rhere is no eieclricity bu t OOO m lake supplies water year roun d . Srreams. well (privace). an d tanker water supply are also available. There was a good earth roild and uansp ortarion was by bus, picku p, mo torcycle. and truck. T he GSM facilities are not stabl e and the re: are no storage

facilities. In Ndiomu. th ere was electricity but not (0 the earmarked area. Water supply was from the stream and tanker water supply. There was an earth road and transpo rtation was by motorcycle. pickup, and bus. There were GSM service centers but no storage facilities.

Manilgingcassavil wilste. The co mmunilies visited were awa re of the environmental pro blem such as: offensive odor ca used by cassava processing and they managed the waste by allowing it to settle, channeling the water inro a was te pit. and coUecting the starch.

Institutional and political support/banks Abogu Community Bank Mgbakwu is rhe o nly financial inst itu tion operating in Anambra Central senarorialzone. When the tcam visited the bank. we found rh at it was having problems and so had res tricted granting loans. When the bank was in bener shape, loans were gran red only on collareral and disbursement was en-bloc. Repayment ofloans was monthly. Training for runni ng th e p roject fo r which a loan was granted was not given. supervision and monitoring of project we re also lacking. We were not able [Q get information on their interest rate. T he bank was constrained by late. irregular. and non repayment ofloans. J

Umunya Community Bank renders usual banking services such as opening of savings. current. and fixed deposit accounts; loans; and money transfer services to the members of the community . They grant loam to traders. transporters. farmers. and individuals who reques t for it bu t specificall y for members of the community. The procedure for acq uiring a loan from the bank includes opening a savings or curren( account befo re applying for a (oan. Mter ap plyin g. the bank looks at the meri ts of the case and if co ns idered. approval is given. Thei r inte rest rate was 2 1% and negotiable. Disbursemem ofloans was in stages depending on operat io n and the agricultural projecr. In cases of agricuituralloans, repayment began fro m harvesting. T hey gave advice and educared their customers (borrowers) in running the project fo r which the loans was given and moniwred the investment. T he bank manage r did not hesirate in granting loans to th e community members, as the people had to be trai ned to make use of avail able loan facilities. The bank was willing to grant a loan for establishing a cassava processing plant in the co mmunity especially for the selected product (gart). The constraints experienced in loan management operat ions include restr iction on funds available. which was not more than 10% of bank del'osit; late payment. which may be due to poor yield; bad weather which also may resuh in poor harvest and; mismanagement of the loan by the borrower. Other organizations that collaborate with the bank in this service in the community were CBN. age grades. du bs. women groups. and NACRDB. Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative lind Rural Development Bank, Nreje is located at Marker Road. Nreje. Th is bank receives deposits and grants microcredir loans ofN250 000 to customers (i ndivid uals or cooperatives) who are into trading, farmi ng, etc. The procedures for acquiring a loan involve opening a savings acco unt with a minimum deposit of N750 and ope rating the accounr for at leas t six weeks to esfablish a cordial relationship. Then the custom er buys the loan form with N250 and pays N 250 for processing the form. The borrowers must have twO guarantors. for married persons. one of the guarantors must be

rhe wife o r husband as the case may be. T he bank illlervie\'.[ed guaranto rs to veri fy if they were av,,'are of the implicatio ns involved in guara nteeing the loan. T he bank then in5pects the beneficiary to see what is o n ground; if found worthy, then the manager makt=s his comments and sends it to Enugu and Kad una for approval. T he interest face W :lS 8% and d isbursement was en-bloc. T wo mon ths grace period was given (this is dependent on the agri cul tural projeal after which payme nt began monthly fro m the thitd month an d was expected to be complered within a year. The bank gave advice to beneficiaries and also mon ito red [he investmenL T hey we re willing to grant a loan for es tablishing a cassava processing plant in the co mmunif)" if the requiremems were m el. The const rai nts experienced by the bank in loan management were thar some bo rrowers did nor meet up with [he payme nt schedul e an d natural haza rds. No organizations collaborated with [hem in rhis service in the community,

Oko Community Bank. Ufo77UI. The procedure< for acquiting a loan were the same as that of Umu nya C ommuni ty Bank. The services rendered invol ve inculcating saving habits in comm unity m embers so th at they can canvass for custome r deposits; creatin g loa n facility awareness; and granci ng soft loans, overd rafts and money transfers (dra ft) through co rrespondence. The interest rate was 19% and above. C BN guaran teed 75% fo t agricu ltural loans. Collatera l had to be landed prop erry of the beneficiary. Disburseme nt of loans when approved were en-bloc and repayment was within a year. If not made wirhin one yea r, the be::neficiary had to appl y for ex te nsion. The::y prac ti ce on the site o riem ario n, inspeclion. and mo ni to ring. T he consrrailHs expe rienced by (he bank in loan m anagem ent were ina bility of customers to meet the required collateral; MRR (JO% of bank share capital depositl; and inabiliry of the bank to grant loans beyo nd N 10 mill io n. Union Bank, Awka. All attempts [0 interview the bank manager o r the acco untant were unsuccessfu l. The offi cers could not respo nd to rhe q ues ti ons. Awka Community Bank. The manager did not respond to the questio ns. Awkuzu Community Ba"lt. T he bank ing services rendered to the commu niry were deposits. collecti on , ex tensio n of cred it faeilid es, advisory servi ces o n investment, safe custody of valuables. social se rvices {such as sponso ring ho lidays and extra mu ral classes for JAlvfB and W ASCE candidatesl. maintenance of culvem and roads. award of scholarsh ip to the best three smdents in primary and secondary schools, gra nting loans to fa rmers and commercial venrures. and manufacturers of ilems such as beverages (rea) and sachet warer. Neighboring towns like Nteje. Ifedu nu. Abba. Umuan ya are also customers who benefit fro m th e bank. The procedures for acqu iring a loan from (he bank were that the beneficiary must have an account; must be known in [he community to be hardwo rking and ho nest; it must be es tab lished th at the perso n needs the loa n fo r econom ic purposes; and the person must apply in writing. T heir in teresr rat e was 2.50/0 per month (2 1%). th ar is, 300/0 per yea r, This was as a result of rhe co rrespo nd ing ban ks. Disbursement period /style was acco rding to fann operation. This was to enable:: moni toring of rhe fund . Repayment te rms we re usually after harvest fo r agricul tu r.ll ioans , T his arrangement \vas for the principal. the inte rest must be 56

paid within 2-3 months afte r rece iv ing the loa n. Trai ni ng services were offe red especially 10 those beneficiaries of agricultural loans. e.g.. training on using ferti lizer and new inpu ts such as improved va ri eties. The>' also monitored t he investme nt, They were , .... iIIing to grant loans for any of the cassava prod ucts that were marketable and econo m ically viable when guaranteed, However, they have experienced co nstraints in 103n manage men t, w hich include occasional natura l disasrers result ing in poor yield and lack of acceptable collateral by borrowers to bellefir from the loall facility. NACRDB alld C BN collabo rate wirh them in thi s service,

First Batlk~ Awka. The services rend ered were openin g of accoun t, deposits, a nd gra nt ing of loa ns l nd overdrafts to investo rs and man ufac turers. T hey al so gave agri cuhuralloans co crop. poult ry. and rice a nd cassava fa rmers. Agri cultural loans we re given ro cooperatives and their mem bers, and nOt to indivi Ju als. Aga in . b~n e Gc i a ries must be mem bers of the co mmuni ty , Loans granred were di sbursed in bits according l'O th e project stages. not en-bloc, and rcpaymenc was at the end of harvesl. T raining was nor given but advice was given to th e farme r o n the projecr. The bank also m onitored rhe investmen r, They could not give us their inte res t rate bur borrowers mUSt have a savings account with a m inimum balance ofNIOOO to qualify. C BN must also guarantee and approve before rhe bank can re lease money. rf CBN ap proves and gu ara ntees , the bank had ro granr the loan . The bank was wi ll ing to grant an agricul tu ra l loa n for th e esta blishm ent of a cassava processing pla nt according to the fede ral G overnment policy. The co nstra ints ex pe rienced by th e bank in loan m anage m ent ,"" ere th at bo rrowers often mismanage the loan and fa il to repay; and com plain of poor yield by farmers . The bank was read)' to gra nt loans to th em if the be neficiaries promised to manage rhe project well and p ayback. The only other organization that collaborares with the ban k in rendering such services to the state was CBN,

Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank, Awka. The services rendered by t his hank include cred it facilities and rerail banking. The y run mi cro ami macroc redit loan levels. The mi cro level was between Nl and N 250 000 while the mac ro level was N25 0 00 and above. These credit levels were given to bOlh grou ps and individuals, The proceJure for acquirin g a loa n was the sa me as that of their branch at N rcje. At lhe macro level. collarc rll of landed property was required , T here was no specific length of acco unt opera ti on period before a customer co uld apply fo r a loan. b ut th ey m us t estab lish a relation ship wirh th e bank befo re ap plying. T he 8% interesl rate, d is burse menr period/style, repayme nt term s, tra ining t he bo rrowe rs in runn ing the project fo r ,vhi ch loan was sought, and monitoring of investmenr as recorded in Nteje Branch o f the bank were confirmed at the Awka Bran ch . The Manage r opined that {his project encouraged expo rt. improved fore ign exch ange earnings. :lnd redu ced the monoculrural pattern of the ;\ligeri an economy. The major consrraims in loan manage m ent were high ad minist ra tive costS of ex tendin g and recovering fro m indi viduals. especia lly the d uste r offa rmers in {he comm uni ty reduces th eir COSt since they will be treal'cd as a unit; will ingness of the govern me nt to relea se the money to (he ban k so tha r the bank in tu rn ca n use it 3 S an d w hen needed to ~cr th e farmers' requirement. If lo an s were given when the fa rmer did not need it, it will affecr 57

the use of input <l nd outpu t o f the farm as well as (h~ repaymenr. Moreover most Nigerian fa rme r~ sa\.... these loans as part of the national cake and they only repay under pressure and some cl ients do not use the loan properly. HO\\o'ever, if the Joa n was not released o n time, it affected yield. Collaborato ls with the bank include the National Association of Fanllers of N igeria (NAFAN), APEX Farmers Association, ADPs and CBN for lendin g operations, the State M inistry of Agricul ture and State Farmers Apex Association, etc.

Fabricators The cassava processo rs in th e Slate generally pu rchase their machinery from fab rica tors at Onitsha, Nnewi, and Proda in Enugu . Some of the fabricators at Onitsha arc presented below: EtilUlik Steel Comtruction Co. Ltd nea r Unio n Bank Pic. Onitsha is ma naged by Edmond Okoli. The equipment fubricared were the presser. grarer, fryer , palm oil mill. boiler, digester, kernel separator. cracker. and tanks . The major equiRmenr fabricated was the oil mill. He carries out arler sa les services for his clients. The consuaints associated with his activities were finance for purchase of rools to enable faste r worle. reduce labor. and produce better equipment. He had no idea of maintenance of a ro tary dryer.

St. Martins l~chnical Equipment is located at 21 1weka Road, On itsha. The equipment fabricated were the milling machine , e1ecuic momrs, spare pans, accessories, and general goods. His major equipment was the milling machine. He provides aftersales services and his major constraint was limited fin ance. He had no idea about the repair of the rotary dryer. ChikwlUex TechnicalLtd managed by Chikwalo Ugoma is located at 38 Otu monye Street O doakpu, Onirsha . The equipmen t fabri cated were the grater. presser, fryer. and roller bread wi[h mixing mach ine, digester. and kernel cracker. His major equipmem was gar:' processing equi pment. He provides after sales services but his major constraint was limited finance to expand productio n. He could nO[ repair an d mailttain an y kin d of dryer. Christian and BrDthers Engineering Co. managed by Francis Oko nkwo is located at No. 7 New Cemetery Road, by Bis hop Onyeabor Junctio n Onitsha. The equipment fabricated are the grater, presser, kernel cracker, oil palm press ing machi ne, corn mill and pounding machine, bread hullers. dough d ivide r, and molding table. H is maj or equipment was the bread-making machine. He provides after sales service, but had serio us financi al limitations. He could not repair a rotary dryer.

Sywatex Techn;calEngi"eering Works (Nig.) is managed by Uchenna Ojobi and located at 52 Venn Road, South Oni tsha. The equipment fab ricated was the roller bread with mixing machine, palm o il digester, plastic crusher, and kernel cracker with separating machine, with a major concentration on the oil mill. He provides after sales services. H is constraints were fas t wearing of gear teeth. finan ce, and th e high COSt of co nstructio n materials. He had soffie knowl edge of the rotary dryer and can repair and maintain it.

K.O. I roll Constnlction is loo led al6 I Ve nn Road South, O nitsh;J . T he equip men t F"b路 ricil: ted we re table saw mills, ro ller bread ma chines, kernel cra cker. iron gates, hand gathe rs, and window pro tectors. He fabricates all kind5 of mi ll ing ap paratus such as che digester, corn m ill , gari p rocessing machine, erc.. with major emphasis o n (he oil pre::ss and diges ter. He provides aft er sales services and repairs damaged too ls. Limited finance an d irregular electricity were his m:ljor co nstra ints. He had no idea of a rotary dryer bu t repa irs all kinds of milling m.chhines.

Pivot and Fulcro11l Consultants Ltd is 10cJted at II Igbo-Ukwu Street. opposite Bassoy Filling Station . Osha-Enugu Expressway, Omagba Phase II , Onirsha. T hey afTer consulcIncy in prod uction , m anufactu re. resea rch and development, con tra ct and supp lies. rrain ing, consulring in indusu y. agriculrure. :md edu cat ion . They have no idea about th e repair and maintenance of a rorary dryer.

Grauz Tech and Engineering Co. is managed by Uwdinma e.G. and locared at No. I Doris Nwufo Slreet Opposite CAT. Awka. T he eq uipm ent fa bric3.red were the cassava gra ter, screwfhydraulic press, fryer, feed mixer. palm oil mill. and palm kernel cracker and separator. His major equipment were (he cassava and pal m oil mill an d grater.s . H e provides after sales services . His main constra ints were inadequate funds and high cost of production. H e had no idea of a rorary dryer.

Mr Uche Ok.yeorlS High T ension Road by Aroma Juncrion Awka is as mall-scale fabricator of grater, press, fl ou r-milli ng mac hine, palm oi l di gesterfpress block molding machine. and other industrial machine/equipment. His major equi pment we re gra ters and lhe block molding machin e. He provides arrer sales service, but limited fin ance was his majo r con~ str:.l inr. He h ad no idea about th e repair and maintenance of a rorary d ryer. Cooperatives

Apex Farmers Association. Amanuke. The economic activities of the group were cassava and rice prod uction and fertilizer procurement and distribution . The problem s encou ntered were difficullY in hirin g a tractor, fert ilizer procurement, agricul tural input and d ifficul ty in acquiring a loan . They fina nce their activ it ies by levyi ng members and us ing their regi stration fees. T he econo mic ac tividc:i successfully c-.arried our <Ire ma ize/cassava/ya m intercrop farm in g (firs t production nO l yet harvested). T he coope rari ve was willing to engage in processing cassava fl our, T hey were willing to obrain a loan for the act iv iry and repayment wou ld be rco m the proceeds. They opined government should gua rantee rhe loan .

Nneamaka Cooperative Society, AmabJ,ngua, Nteje. T he economic ac tivit ies of the group we re in starch produc ti on. The majo r ptoblems experienced were shon age of water, nonavail路 abiliry of machi nes for grating, an d inaccessi biliry ro market. T he groups' activities we re fi nanced by individual contri butions. T he ac tivity successfull y car ried out was starch producti on an d they were witling (0 engdge in commerc ial cassava processing for starch productio n. T hey we re also will ing to ob tain a lo;}n and (0 repay from proceeds. T hey had no guaramor. T hey oth er orga路 niutions engaged in simi lar acti vi ty \vere Ifu na;ro Coope rarive Sociec y and Um uefl N tej e. 59

Njelaka Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Umunya is engaged in soya m ilk and powder production ; cassava flou r produc tio n ; plantain. cocoya m, and cassava chip (ttbacha) production ; as well as fry ing an d selling of soya buns. T he main proble ms experienced were li mi ted fin:m ce. So fa r, they fin anced lh eir activities through indiv idual contribu tions. The ac tivit ies successfully ca rri ed o ut were planta in chi ps, buns. an d soya ogi p roductio n . The gro up was willing co engage in co mmercial cassava proce~ ing int o gar; and o bta in a loan for it. The re paym t!nr of th e loan was ex peCled from sales :md th e:: proposed guarantor \vas the chairman of th e coo perat ive.

Awkltzu Trader's M1Iltipurpose Cooperlltive Society LId, Awkuzu is engaged in CJssava and yam /cocoy.lITI productio n. The main pro blem experienced was limited fin ance. T he aC li vi ti es wen~ fi nan ced by indi vidual contribu tio ns an d the o ne successfully carried out to engage in co mmercial cassava processing for cassava fl our and willing to ob tain a loan for (he activiry. The pla nne d repaymcnr of , he loan will be from proceeds of t he business and , he president of cooperatiyt' '\'as to guar:lntcc {he loa n . The other <'trgani7.arion engaged in similar acrivities was the Ezin ne ~'oJ1l en' s G ro up.

was cassava produclion for gnri processing. TIley group was w illing

Udoka Women Mltltipurpose Cooperative Society, Ndikeiiolt./U is engagt'd in gari

pro ~

cessi ng and cassava/ maize/m elon intercrop. The problems experie nced were limired f1 nan ce an d roden t 3nack on crops. T he acr iviry successfully carried OUt was cassava/maize/melon intercrop. The group was willing to engage in co mmercial cassava p rocessing for gari processing and to obta in a loan. The loan will be repa id from the proceeds. T he tradition al ruler, president general, and ('he town uni o n were co gua rantee th e lo an.

Uhueze Multipurpou Cooperativ~ Society Ndio1nll is engaged in pal m plantat io n (34 acres) , maize, rice, and pineapple farming. T he prob lem experienced was the nonavailability of capablt: manpower due [Q migrarion of you ths to urban cities and limi ted finan ce due to inadequate govern m ent support. The activity successfully carried OUt was palm plantat ion. The group was willing to engage in commercial cassava processing for gari produ ct ion an d [Q obtain a loan . They plan to repay the loan fro m Iht: proceeds of the busi nt:ss and the Eu of th e co mmu nity wou ld guarantee the loan .

Table 5. Cost-retum analysis (profitability) for gar; production. Output

Unit (kg)

Unit price (N)

V, lue (N)

Revenue gar; Variable costs

1333

36.4

48521.2

Cau avatube~

4050

20 250 14985 1350 149B5 2025 2025 546.75 1200.00 57366.7

Peeli ng/washing

3.7

Grati n glp r~ ss ing

0.35

Sieving/frying Fuel Palm oil Dew2te ri ng/packaging ba g.~ Wa ter

Fixed coses Dep rec~ (ion

or processing shed

TVC V,lu. (N)

Percent

7 .020

Gr.lti ng mach ine:

5000 58.33

Pressing machine:

B3.33

0. 120 0.702 0.056 1.100 0.009 0.002 0.640 0.120 0. 120 0.040 0.060 0.080 0.030 0.140 10.33

Frying pans Oven Water tank

Sieve Frying spoon Diesel engine (SHp) Benches Plastic con tainers Sp,de Buckers (metal) Wheel barrow

Head pans Table/knives/chairs

Total fixed cos ts

500 .00 41.66 783 .33 6.66 13.89 455 .55 81.66 81.66 26.67 43 .33 58.33 23.33 100.00 7357.73

GIOU nUlgin (TR-TVC) .. 884 5. 55 Opponunily cost (I0%) 6472.448 Tota) case '" 7 1 19 6 .928 Nel ret Urll5

CfR-Te)

'=' -

22G75.72 S

ikllehc-<oit r;1[io

O.OBO

28.44 2 1.05 1.90 21.05 2.84 2.84 0.77

1.69

Tabl e 6. Cost-return analysis (profitabi lity) for cassava Hour (unfermented) production.

Ourpur

Uni r (kg)

Unit price (N)

Value (N)

18 22.5

9 1 125

4050

kg kg

20250 1498 5 1350 540

11.65 30.82 2.78 1.11

2700 540.75 1200 41 57 1.75

5.55 1.11 2.47

Revenue Cassava flour

Variable CO~ IÂˇS Cassava tubers

Peel ing/washing

3.7 0.33

Grating Drying

Milling/sieving ere. Packa~in g

bags

W afer

we Gross m.llgill (TR.T VC) '" 49 55.\.25

Fixed cost

Deprec i'l.li on of processing shed

5000

Diesel engi ne

455 .55 58.33 83.33 166.66

G ratin g mach ine

Dryi ng slab

Pulverizer Miller

Containers .md knives etc

83.33 1198.3 1

7045. 51 Opportunil)' con (10%) â&#x20AC;˘ 4861 .726

TOfal C05 1 Fe

VC '" 48617.26

Net returns (TR . T C) .42507 .74 fk ndil-t:ost Ulio

10.28 0.94 0.12 0.17 0.34 0.17 2.47

Table 7. Cost-retum analysis (profitability) for cassava starch production (estimated).

Ou tput

Un it (kg)

Uni t price (N)

Value (N)

506.25

20250

4050

5 3.7

0/0

Revenue Starch

Variable cust Cassava tubers

Peding/washing

20250 14985 1000

Fermentation of tubers Starch mill exq.Jction Dewatering

1000

1000 405 300 1300 300 40540

Packing bag., Drying \Vater

Milling Total variable cost

Fixed cost Deprec ia[ ion of processing shed

Prime mover Starch mi ll extractor Sedimentation tanks

Dewa terin g press

9.06 0.83 0.83 0.76

5000 455.55 455 .55 4 16.66 0.15

83.33

Rasper Collapsible sun-dryi ng platform Mechanical dryer Hammer mi ll

Tota l fixe d cost

379.63 11 3.33 2277.75 455.55 9637.9

0.69 0.2 1 4. 13 0.83

50 17.79

Opportunity cost (10%)

TC = N55 195.69 -34945.69 -14655.69 0.36.1

Gross margin (TR-TVC) Not return (TR-TC) Benefit-cost ration Note: 150 kg of C:lWVil gives 33 kg of t ol'; Gtrri sells ;1.1 N3G.4/kg ISO kg of c:m:ava (;ives H .) -kg of flour

Flour !iC'lIs a l N SOlkg 150 kg of caยงuV"A t~ ivc: ... IOOkg offolu FuJII sell s al N321kg 200 kg of c:u.>ava givc:s 25 kg of n.arch Starch sells al N40/kg

36 .69 27.15 l.8 1 l.S I l.SI 0.734 0.54 2.36 0.54

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Production cost and profitability of selected cassava products The production coscs and prohlability of selected products in the state are presented in Tables 5 for gdrj. 6 for unfermented cassava flo ur. and 7 for starch. Peeling/washing, siev in gfrrying :lce so lely women 's activities. All estimates on depreciation on machinery. tools. and imp leme ms were based on the srraightline met hod. Variable costs of peel ing/washin g. grating/pressing. sieving/frying. and fuel were calculated on mean of the 12 communiries.

Recommended sites and products Among the nine co mm unit ies surveyed. Ndikelionwu. Um unya. Okija. and Mgbakwu will be viable sites for gari processing because th ey have Clssava in abundance and the community leaders were pa rti cularly interested in the peojceL There was water an d electricity. which could be extend ed to plant sites. They were ready [0 cooperate with the government in terms oflo;ms. However, in terms of gr::J.ding. Nd ikelionwu wou ld come first. Ethanol was nO t common in the state. however, the tradirional ruler oflsuaniocha was ready to ny our irs production. h would be better sited there if co nsidered. Although Nteje selected starch. only rwo people were willing to finance irs production. There are about 50 service centers but it would be bener to rehabilitare the Nigerian Starch Mill already in the state for increased production. Unfermented cassava flo ur would do a lot of good to the Nigerian economy. Awkuzu reco mmended ir.

Conclusion Anambra Stare has substantial economic potenrial in p ro cessing cassava to various products. It has both public and private sector involvement in cassava processing. The vast land required forcassilva production was avai lable in all the communi ties visired and they showed willingness to support the project. Indi viduals. groups, and cooperatives wen: willing to finance both processing and traccors in most of the communities visited. They have available markets for gari and fofo. which were accessible by road. although like most other states in Nigeria. the roads were not good. There is good insrit ut io na l and poli tia.1 suppo rt in th~ stare. Fabricators we re abundant at Onitsha and the Nigerian Sta rch Mill in Ndikelionwu co mmuni ry has donated vast land for tha, p roject. They already have factories processing cassava. which need support to perform better. and individuals interested in going into processing are numerous. This project will be viable in the state as cassava glut was obvious in some of the communities where 3-4 years cassava was still unharvested because they have no market. especially in the communities with bad roads. This project will be viable and profitable to rhe state and the cou ntry. The senatorial stratification may limit the profitabiliry as in this state. for instance. the Anambra South senatorial zo ne seemed to be the most appropri:lIe zo ne for the project and ca n take more than onC' sire. H oweve r this was leff for the governmem to decide. From the inrerview with fabricators, Chikwatex Tec hnical Ltd

seemed most competem in the fab ricatio n of cassava processing equi pment. He was able to

assemble equipment .hat processes the cassava to .he final product (gan).

Appendix 1 Cassava production in the local government areas of Anambra State in 2000 and 2001 (an extract from Anamb ra State ADP data).

LGA

2000

Aguata

20.59 42.31

Qrumba Nort h Orum ba South Anambra East AnambrJ W est

Aya melum Oyi Anaocha Awb North Awka South Dunokofia Ekwusigo Idem iii North Idemili Sourh Nnewi No rth Nnewi South Ihi. l. Ogbaru O nirsha No n h O nirs ha South

2001

50.22 49.26

4 1.5 3 1.64 32. 1S 42.3 1 47.8 1

37.55 3S. 19 50.22 56.75

33.58 34. 12

39.S6 40.50 28.47 4.S0

23.99 4.04 10.73 8.68

12.73 10.30 10.SI

9.00 26.4 1 25.93 47.27 4 1.1 S

31.35 30.77 56.11 4S.S8

3.29

3.90

Remark: Onitsh .. $0\.: 111 LGA is ;& comltlt"tcilll ;\n:.I, thm: .....ert no farm familie5.

Appendix 2 Respondents Communities

Respondenls

Mgbakwll

President Genera l

Mrs Iltcheal N nama

A Chi ef lsuaniocha

A service cenler manager C hief Moses Ezenna

Eu Igwe Emebo Amanuke

Chief B.U. Nn,wube (HRI-I ) Lola Mrs Nnawube Two of his chiefs

Awkuzu

Mr Leonard Uba Michael Obalim Ifeoma Okonkwo /\mab Akwuaya Nw.mkwo Anaukwu C hinedu Aniakwcm

Umunya

HRH C hris Chinedu Onyekweluje

Ichic Felix Ughanz.c: Mrs Beatrice Achunye Mrs Grace Nwizu Mrs Justina Okeke

Nreje

Son of his I-IRH Two ladies five men

Nd ikelio nwu

Eu CO. Ike (HR H) Lolo Mrs Ike

Three of his chiefs Omogho

One processor {.service cen ter manager) Ignauu s Emebo

Ndiowu

Augustina Okeke Aloysius Igwebuike Kanayo Ch ukwu Anyawechi D ,) \'id O rji

Mrs Angelina Nwankwo G odwin Ani Mrs Esther Nwafor

Appendix 3 Equipment prices s ervice center (Ndikelionwu).

Equipmenr

Co"

Years used in calculaling deprecia(ion

Diesel engine water cool

50000 16000 14 500 7000 15000 280000 6000 3000 800 1500

15 10 10 10 5 25

Grater

Presser

Frye r Oven building Housing Drums for diesel and water Ins rallation of engine Sieve Collecmr (basin)

5 5

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for 8ayelsa State

Introduction The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assess ment Survey for Bayelsa State was emba rked upon to determ ine the casSJva products (foods , livestock feeds . indusui al raw m aterials) produced by farme rs/processo rs, th e techno logies employed in process in g cassava ro ots into these products, m arker/i nd ust ri al demand. access for fresh cassava and processed products, and th e sup port given to processors by financial instituti ons and nongovernmenral organizations (NGOs) in t he cassava producin g co mmunities of the nale. It a ims to select a location for setting u p a ca~sava processing plant under the Preemp tive Management of the Virulent CMD in N igeri:1 Project of the lnrcrn ariona l lnsr irure of T ropical Agricu lture ([ITA). The goal of the survey was [0 check pos tharvest losses of cassava thus ensuring food security, enhancing agribus iness in the co mmunities, providing employ ment o pportunities for youths and school leavers, and stimulating soc ioeconomic grow th of Ihyelsa State.

Description of Baye Isa State Bayels. Sta re is located in the Niger Delra region. The topography is flat plains, crisscrossed in some places by rivers. uibutui es, an d creeks. The tropical climate of the .state is characterized by mean 22 "C minim um and 32 "C maxi mum temperatures, high rainfull (about 2000 mm/annum), and an average annual h umidity of 82% at 0900 GMT. In addition to planting cassava, farmers in the state also grow yam, plantain and banana, cocoyam. maize, fluted pumpk in. oil pa lm, citrus, coconU(, mango, and rice. Other agricultural activities in (.m me parts of) the Slate include fi shi ng and agroforestry. Agroprocessing activit ies here are largely at farm gate level or aÂŁ the fishing camps. Few large- and medium -scale foud indusrries. such as a wheat flourm ill. palm oil mills, an d bakeries exist in the state.

Research approach Selection of participating communities T he techni cal director of the Bayels. Agricultu ral Develop ment Program (ADP) in collaboration with the Bayelsa ADP postharvest specialist prov ided the Bayelsa State Needs Assessme nt Team with the highesr cassava producing communities selec ted from the highest cassava prod ucing LGA in each se natorial zo ne (Table 1) .

Table 1. Local government areas (lGAs) and communities sel ected for the Needs Ass essment survey in Bayelsa State.

Senalo rial disrricr

LGA

Communiry

Yen3goa

K olokuma-Opokuma

Opokuma

S:lgbam:a

Odi Sabagreia T ungbo Sagb ama Adagbabiri

O gbia

Elcbelc OtU;)!\q!,;(

Imiringi

Data collectio n and analysis The pmtharvesr needs assessmc nr ch eckJ isc provided by the Preemptive Management of the Viru lem CMD in Ni geria Project of lITA adm inistered various respondents in rhe sdecrcd area. Data was o btai ned o n rhe production COSt of selecred products. ' .... age rate pe r day or task, functionfregi slercd associations, cooperative, NGO, or inves ror group, loan grant ingf fi nancia l ins{iturions, and level of eme rprise of cassava processing factories.

Main findings Community level needs assessment yenogoa senatorial zone Cassava commodity seuct.dfor S111E. Gari,fitjil, starch, and kpokpogari are th e comm on cassava products fo u nd in this Sf'na tonal1.one. Other than th ese, tap ioca is proccs.scd in Opokuma and lJp ioca :md ca.'isava Ro ur are processed in Odi. A ll the co mmuni ties visited in thi s su rvey. sdec [ ~d gari as rhe prod uCl.~ for which they wo ul d like an SME. Community knowledge of equipment fabricators. In all Ihe communities visi te d, respon J cnls were aware of the equipment nCelled for a gllrj processi ng p hmt. G rating and deware rin g mach ines, a mecha nica l sieve, and gnri frye r were frequently m entioned in all the communi ties. No ne of tht: co mmunities could , howeve r, identify a fab ricator for an y of the cquipme nr. They asked fo r fin ancial assistan ce from governmenr ( 0 enable th em to engage in such 3 ve nture.

Availability ofcassava roots and production costs. In all the co mmu niti es. they claimed '0 be able to produce enough cassava roots to meet the raw mate ria l needs of the cassava processing plant an d if ,he need arose , they woul d be able to b uy from neighboring co mmu niti es. In all .. he com munities, they t:xpressed their w ill ingness to su pply the needed cassava , b ut with respect to co nsiste ncy o f su pply, the people of Odi commu nity adm itted that supply could be interrupted in times of local crises.

Sal. ofCMsava and cassava products. In Odi and Sabagre ia, the m ain elients for the gari prod uced were fro m neighbo ring commu nit ies. bu t d iem s parron ized Opoku ma from fa r and near. C assava produ cts were sold daily in Odi, every Tuesday at O poku ma, but so ld at various market days in Sabagreia.

Constrab,ts to cassa va processing. The major cons traims to cassava processing in all loca{ions we re poo r transpona rion infra struclure. li m ite-d fina nce. and no navai labi liry of eq uipment. W hereas profirs were 1m\' a.nd disco uraging at Sabagreia and Opok uma, il was nOl com:idered a constraint at O di. No [racror was used in any of the co mmunities visited.

Willingness to own a cassava proc~ssing plant. All the commu nities were willing to acqu ire a cassa va processing plant . But no ne was either ready to build the plant for now o r give a definite time to do so.

Plant ownership pr.fermus. T he preferred ownershi p pattern in Sabagreia and Odi was the cooperative gro ups operating in the communi ties. But th e peo ple o f Opokum a preferred 10 se l up a commi u ec to own th e plane

Availability ofland and oUler supporting infrastructures. Land was avai lab le in all the co mmunities visi ted in Yenago3 se natorial zo ne. O nly men had access to land for building

the cassava processing pla ne in Sahagreia and Opoku ma. Women could own la nd through their husbands , and youths through {hei r faehe rs. The simation was, however, different in Odi where access ro land was open to all indigenes, but resniCfed to mi gra nts. A plot of

land (50 x 100 rr) costs between N 100 000 and N) 80 000 in Sabagreia. N 100 000 and N150 000 in Odi. and NIOO 000 and 200 000 in Opokum â&#x20AC;˘. T he electrici t), in Sabage ria and Odi was not functioning. but a gas IUrbine provided

by rhe srare supplied electricity ro Opokuma . There was no warer supply service in all rhe co mmu nities visited, so they relied o n natural means. Both Odi and Opokum a have good tarred roads , but only earrh roads service Sabager ia . Commu nication by GSM was feasible in all th e comm unities, but sto rage srructures we re not ava ila ble. ManngingctlssllvII waste. All the communities visited claimed to be aware of environmental pro blems caused by cassava processing. In Sa bagreia. cassava peel was fed to p igs an d goaes;

used ro ferri lize planrain farms. or dumped inro pits or nearby bushes in Odi. or backya rd or the river in Opokuma.

Sagbama senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. Cassava was generally processed into gari. starch. fiifi" and kpokpogl1ri in rhis senarorial zone. Bur rhe people of Adagbabiri communiry also processed tapioca. All th e commun ities selected gari as the cassava prod uct for SME in [he se na to rial 20ne.

Community !mowledge of equipment fabricators. There were no fabrlcarors in all rhe comm unities visi ted in this senalorial 20 ne. In Tungbo and Sagbama co mmunities, grating and d ewatering machines were idendfied as the equipment required for gari processing.

Bur in Adagbabari. rhey identified these rwo and rhe gari fry er as rhe equipmelll needed. In all cases. rhe respondents idemified an lndividual emrepreneur as rhe path ro obtain rhe required machineries.

Auailability of CQSlaua roots and proJuctiotl costs. Cassava was produced in the community and pu rchased from other locations in the senatorial zone. The respondenrs in all th e commu nities expressed thei r willingness to su ppl y cassav;a to the processing plant.

Ar Tungbo and Adagbabiri. they claimed rhar cassava was available all year round. bur ar Sagbama. rhe expressed rhe fear rha t rhe supply migh' be affecred when ,here was a flood in rhe community.

Sale o/casJllva and cllSsava products. Traders were the main clients for cassava products in Sagbama senatorial zone. Boarding schools and neighboring communities also bought cassava products in Tungbo. In Adagbabiri. fresh cassava roo ts were not sold. BUt cassava products were sold daily to members of rhe neighboring communities and weekly to traders in ;all th e commu nities selected . Constraints to casstlva processing. The major constraints to cassava processing in all communities selected in Sagbama senacorial zone: were limi ted fun ds .;and low level of profit from

caiSava processing operations. While nonavailability of a grating machine was considered a constrnint in Tungbo and Adagbabiri. it was not a problem in Sagbama. Nobody uses a tractor in all the communities vis ited.

Willingness to own a cassava processing pkmL The respondents at Tungbo and Adagbabiri expressed their readiness to source for a cassava processing plant. In Sagbama, the respondents declared that that they were not ready to source for a cassava processing plant. The people ofTungbo were ready by November 2004 to build a cassava processi ng plant. But the other commun ities claimed rhat financial constraints could not allow them build one for now.

Piant own~rship preftrenc~s. In Tungbo, the preferred ownership pan ern ' .... as such that individuals or cooperatives owned plants under the supervision of the community. In Sagbarna, the people hoped that the community would own the plant when they were ready for it. In Adagbab iri. they preferred a small commi([ee to manage [he pla nt on behalf of the community.

AvaiL.bility ofLt"d and oth... supporting infrastructures. Contiguous farmland was available in all the selected communities for servicing the cassava processing plant. In Sagbama and Adagbabiri. the community and members who owned land. only held mufruc[uaty right on the land. But in Tungbo, individual men, women, and youths had direct and uninhibited access ro land. A plot ofland (50 x 100 f,) eoSlS between N50 000 and N80 000 in Tungbo. N90 000 and NI20 000 in Sagbama. and N70 000 and N IOO 000 In Adagbabirl. In the three communities. generating plantS provided electricity, tho ugh in the case of Sagball13, the State Government provided ir. Governmem supplied pipe borne wat~r was ava ilable al T ungbo. but an NGO supplied wal er in Adagabbiri. In Sagbama. individuals sunk boreholes to lap underground water. Only Tungbo had a good road. The main means of transportation were canoes, motorcycles, speedboats, flying boats, and pick.up vans. Communication by GSM was f~asible in all ,he communities but none had storage structures.

Managing cllSsavlt wast~. All the comrni..1nities claimed to be aware of the environmental problems associated with cassava processing. In Tungbo. cassava peels were deposited in pits. The peds were dumped in the river or nearby bush in Sagbama, but used as fertilizer for plantain in Adagbabiri.

Brass senatorial zone Cassava commodity .electedfor SME. Gari.fiifU. [apioea (abacha). starch. and kpokpogari were the main cassava products in Brass senatorial z.one. All the communities visited sel~cted gar; as their choice cassava product for SME.

Community knowledge afequipment fabricakl"', There were no equip ment fabricators in all the communities visited. They, however, mentioned a grating and dewatering machine,

gari fryer, and mechanicaJ sieves as rhe main equipment that w~rc required for the proposed

gari processing plant. Bur while [he people of OWl. Sega expected govern ment to make ir available, rhe people of Imiringi were looking forwa rd ro an NGO or government. The people of Elebcle howeve r expressed willingness to purchase [he equipmem. Availability ofcassava roots and production costJ. Fresh cassava

roQ[S were abundam in rhe senatori al disl ricr. Imiringi and Elebele commun it ies claimed that they could produce and were willing to supply the all cassava roots required by rhe processing pla nts from withi n their community alone. The people ofOtua Sega were also willing to supply cassava roots all year round bur no ted char they could buy from OIher sou rces occasionally.

Sale of cassava and cassava products. [n Elebele, m embers of rhe community were the ma in c1ienrs for cassava and cassava produ cts. In Imiringi. [he client groups included restau rants. individuals, and boarding schools in the comm u nity. ]n Otua Sega, the clients wen: traders, neighbors. and natives. Bur while market transaction.';; ro ok place daily in Oma Sega and Imirin gi. it rook place occasionally in Elebele.

Constraints to cassat'a process;'zg. The major const raim to cassava processing in Brass senarorial zo ne was the nonayailahiliry of appropriate equipme nt. In addition, limited finance and sho rtage of firewood were cOflSrraims in G tua Sega and seasonal nuctuati on in transpo rt:J.tion fares was noted in Imtringi . No tractors were used for Farming in all the com mu nities visin:d in rhe zon~. Willingness to

OW1I

a cassava processing plant. The people of Oma Sega and Imiringi

expressed [heir readiness ro suurct' for a cassava processing plant. However. in Elebelt', they were not el1thus i:lstic.

Plant ownership preferences. In Otua Sega. th e preferred ownership pattern was for groups of three people [0 manage the plant. In [miringi, they preferred individual and cooperative ownership. but in Elebele. they preferred the community.

Availability of/and and other sttpporting inJrastroctures. Land was availab le in all the communities visited fo r farming purposes. Access to land was not restricted by gender in Imiringi and Elebele. as is the case at Olua Sega where women and youths only had access to land through the adult ma les. A plor of land costs between N200 000 and N300 000 in Otua Sega. N160 000 and N170 000 in Imiringi . and Nl80 000 in Elebele. All the communities had uni nrt:rrupted electrici[~路 supply and good roads. The main means of tran sport were bus, mo torcycle , and ca noe. \X'ater supply was. hO\\lever, unsatisfactory at fmiringi and Elebele. C ommunicarion by GSM was possible in all the communities but ther~ were no storage structures.

Managing cassava waste. Members of the three communities daimed to be aware of the environment;)1 problems associated witil cassava proce~sing. But the cassava waste was deposited along the riverbank in Imiringi and Elcbclc. 1n Olua Sega. the peels were deposited in pits, used for feeding goats. or as organic manu re.

Institutional and political support Agricultural input m:ukcrs and insti tutions were unde rdeveloped in Bayelsa Scate. Reform s aimed at improving th e perform ance of existing ones have Failed to yield desired resul ts due to inadequate sup port, insincerity, and disappoinrmems. Howeve r, a few institutions existed in the commu nities with po re lHials o f sTre ngthening cassava processi ng enterp rises largely throug h the provision of rhe required will, support , and enabling environmen t fo r [he operation of the plan ts. T ht:se instimcions included fina ncial. [rain ing. nongovernmental organiza t io ns (:'\lGOs) , and co m mun iry-bascd organiza tions (enOs).

Banks/financial institutions The financ ial instituti on.s fo und in the na lc were ba nks. fwm age nci es, local moneylenders. and the Federal Governme nr sponsored Special P rngram on Food Security (S PFS). All the banks wert: located at Ye nagoa. exce pt first Ban k of Nigeri a (FSB) with a branch in Odi community Cr able 2). T he FSB ar Odi su pports smaJl- and medium-scale enterp rises (SME) an d was w illing (0 fin ance th e estab lishme nt of a cassava processi ng factory within the srate. It OpCf3tes under the Ce nt ral Bank of Nigoria's (CBN) guidelines, and charges an annual in terest 0[20.5%, repayable after six mo nrhs o r longer depending on the investment project. It also provides traini ng to beneficiaries (customers) on project m anagement. However, it partakes in the ow nersh ip of the business by providing 400/0 of the capi tal investment shan~. FSB fin ances agricultural projects in [he stare throu gh collaboration with rhe Slate Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) . C olb teral secu ri ty no rmally included a reasonable fixed cas h balan ce in [he clIsromer' acco unt. It was more d isposed to dealing with gro up s (cooperatives, etc.) than individu als. [susu groups exist in so me communi ties. They provided fi na nci al assis ta nce to membe rs only and mostly for farming. Local moneylenders were fou nd in Sabagreia and T ungbo communities. T hey provided loans to members of the co mmunity at an interest rate of 40-50%, payable monrhly. In Odi, Im iri ngi, a nd Oruasega communi ties of the state, SPFs provided revolvin g interest-free lo. ns ofN 10 000-N140 000 (0 peo p le. The loan was disbursed once, but repa id in three insta lme nts. Initial problems incl uded delay and poor ri ming in receiving the funds . Benefi ciaries we re train ed on project management wit hin and out side th e sta te .

Training institutions T here were no train ing insti tu tions for farm ers a nd processors in :.1 11 the com muni ties visited. However, a federal government bioresource cenler was being built in Odi commu nity to conduct bioscie nr ific research , provide resuhs, and assist farmers on biodiversity management for sustainable production and food security.

Nongovernmental Organizations INGOs) Living-Earth foun dation (LEf) and NPP-3 were the NGOs operating in Brass senatorial zone, (lmiringi) and Sagbam a senato rial zone, (T ungbo and Adagbabiri comm unities)' respecrively. LEF provided enlightenmen( activities on conserva ti on and pollution management, whi le NPP-3 provided infrast rucwral in puts such as wa ter {Q the. members of the community.

Cooperatives

Odi Kirip"e Fanners' Coope1'ative Society (OKFCS). This cooper.aivt: func tioned under the Odi Farmers' Group Man agemem Union (founded by the Food and Ag riculturJ I Organi7.2tio n in collabo rat io n with lhe Fede r.. l Min istry uf Agri culture, Nigeria). The OKFCS currenrly opera tes 3. cotrage gari and slare h production outfi t. with :m initial investment ou tla)' of N1 000 000. It em ploys fou r persons and had two grat in", one m illing. and three dewatering machines that prod uced 0.875 tonnes of dewatered p ulp every week an d a monthl y tu rn over of N3000- N5000. T he majo r problem was funds (0 install the fryer and slarch producrio n facilities. Food for All Cooperative Associolio11- (FAC4) Ilttd NASU Farmers Associatio" we re located at lmi rin gi. Horh coopcr:ui ves were willin g to acquire loans to huild ;] cassa va processin g pla nt in I-heir communiries. AU the communities I:!xpressed willingness l'U acquire .J loan ro build cassava p rocessing pbnts. Ownership plttern varied across rhe communiries. Basically. prefere nce was give n to groups or individual ownership TO facili t3re/en han ce effective management of the plant a nd ease repayment difficul(ies.

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Observations Markel/industrial demand and access market demand and enterprise development Tht! cassava products common ly produced fo r domestic and commercial uses in the communiti es visited we re gar;, starch (mostly wet sra.rch),fuJu. tapio ca, and kpokpogari. Gar; was Ihe mos t comm ercially prod uced and consumed cassava produc( due to the availabil iry of a ready m arket. high d emand from \virh in and outside the com munities. and cash incom e. Next was /;111, fo llowed by sta rch. Kpokpogari was produced in sm all qU;lntities and co nsumed wilhin and around neighbo rin g co mmunitits. It was usually catcn as a snac k bur had limiled dema nd by exn: rnal traders rdative to gnri.jiifu, and starch. Community market The commodity t rade Haws

be twe~n

communities and markers a re shown in Figu re 1.

)Jar! processor~~ fFuJu Srarch (wet

Local governme nt - . . Retail --.. General and stare market wh olesale public ---+ wholesalc~ Retailers

O ther cassava products Ocher stare markers

Processo rs {mosd y cassava farmer

Cassava product

Marke! (demand) oudet/poi nt

----------. + general

public Marke, organIzation

Con sumer

Figure 1. Market chain for cassava products in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

Based o n comm uni ty preference, vo lume o f trade, extent and evo imi o n of processing mech:lOiz3tion, con sumpt io n ;'\nd acces." to ma rker, gllri \\'as . he most important cassava

product ,elected for small- and mediu m-scale enterprise (SME) development in Bayelsa Slate. However, th ere was po tent ial for improvement in starch and fi1u product ion (from cassava tubers) , prima rily m meet the demands of the loca l communities. Garj production in Bayelsa State wa s dominated by cassava "producer-processors". T hey relied largely o n own~productioll for th e sup ply of Glssav:a roots and used mallu al tech niq ues for most of the processin g oper::lt io ns. Fresh ca... sava roots were transporred to th e home Ot processing ce nter on the head as head loads, in ca noes, moto rcycl es , wheelbarrows, and vehides. It was usually packaged in bags. G ratin g of peeled and was hed cassava rootS using a diese l engine~()pe rated grater was common in all the comm unities visited . Mechan ical pressers fo r dewatering gr.ued cassava were ava il able in 78% of the communities . The quan tity of fres h cassav a roots processed at a give n time (usuall y tv.'i ce a week) ra nged from 1 to 5 bags

(48 . 12-240.6 kg). Gari marketing Both retai l and who lesa le markets ex ist for gari in Bayelsa State depending o n the level and poi nt of sale. At the community level, gari \vas sold using either "rubber" or "small-basin "

of2.125 and 4.25 kg of grrri. respectively. The retail market comprised buyers fro m wi th in and neighbouring co mmunities . while the who lesa le market .was made up of buye rs from other srates (mosdy Rivers and Delta), the state capical (Yenagoa) , and other towns wi thin

the state. Ac the local governm ent level . gari was packaged and sold in "Chinese-bags" at various weekly markets in co mmunities (rowns) withi n the state . (A "Chinese-bag" comains

20 small "rubbers" o r 42 .5 kg gan). Fresh cassava roots were sold ro buyers from wi thin the comm unity.

Economics of gari production from cassava roots T he costs :l\nd returns in vo lved in gar; production at the "farmer" or " pro ducer~pro cesso r" level are shown in T ables 2. 3. and 4. An average of 265 kg of gari wou ld be produced fo r 1000 kg (l ronnel of cassava rubers. When valued at a unit price of N 160 OO/kg. chis amou nted to Nl 5 900. The va riabl e cOSt accoll nl ed for about 75% with roots and peeling

contriburing 23.0 and 15.3%. respectively. while the fixed cost accounted for abour 25% with the opportun ity cost of capi tal (estimated at 20.50/0 interesr rate) contributing abom 17.0%. Hence , gar; produclio n was capita l imensive in Bayelsa Scale. Gari production

ente rp rise based on gross margin and net return of -N26 105-N5405 and -N38 309-N 11 088.40. respectively was not profitable. at least fo r the level of production und ertaken. These values vary from one co mmu niry to anot her w ith marked differences across the senarori al zo nes in the state.

At the senatorial zone level. Brass wne had the highest total va riable COst (TVC) of N52 088 .50k on the average. Nexc is Yenagoa zone with an average TVC ofN47 932.70k. while the least TVC is From Sagbama zone (-N29 22 1.70k). l abo r wage ra'e per man-day for ca ssava process ing and o the r fa nni ng operation s follow the same trend as those of the 80

TVC across rh e senatorial l ones . The di fferences in TVC were due to d ifferences in wage rate, access to markel , ln d extent of Cl <;sava process ing mechanizatio n in the areas. At the commllni(y level , Ihere we re no ma rked differences in TVC JI1 J bho r wage nHe amon g rhe communities visilcJ. Tho ugh men :.mJ yomhs ass isted in cassava process ing. women were the main processors o f C:l.':;sava imo different products in Bayelsa State. Table 2. Cost路return analysis (profitability) for gari production (from cassava roots) in Yenagoa senatorial zone, Bayelsa State, Odi V ;ll u~

Opokuma (N )

Valuc (N)

Sa oogreia %

Value (N )

Rc .. e fl ut: (TR) Gnri (Olll plII) -2 , 0 k!; II ni, pric.: (N/k!;l

70.50

65 .5

52.0

18682.50

17357.5

13 780.0

Va riable ("ost (VO Gssa\";J ttlhers (unil priCf!) Valul' of OUiput ( 1000 kg)

10.50 10 500

Transport Jli()11

4200

r.:di ng W.. shing Gr3[ing Dewatering (pressing)

10500

22.07

14. 50 14500

8.83 22.07

3150 1260

6.00 12.00 204 0

5250 3150 2 100

10.0

6.62 6.62

2 100 2100

27.64

5.30 2.65 74. 16

399 10

4.00 4.00 76.07

of pruccis ing sht'd

8 19

I. n

8 19

1. 56

kn i".:s

420 296 1

0.8! 6.Z2 17.0 1 25.84

420 296 1

0.88 5.64

8358.1 12559.1 52468.1

15.93 23.93

fud Dewatering :Ul d packaging bag TVC

4.00

17. 14

2 100 3 150 420 2 100

4.8 7.2 1.00 4.50 4.)0

2 100 10500 1260 3 1 230

4. 50 24 .00

6.0

3150 3150 2520 1260 35280

Frying

7.50 7)00

8.90 7 1040

Fi;o;cd COSt Dc p r~ci;Hio n Prt'lH'r

Fryer

Containers

8 19 882 420 296 1 74 44.0 12526 4.l 756

8093.4 12 293.4 47573 .4

Cross m:trgin (TR-TVq

- 165 97.5

-22552.5

- 17 450

Ne t rc::\'t~n u ~

-18 890.9 0.39,1

- \; 110.1

-26 306

Oppo rtunit), cosr of capital (20.5%)

TFC

lknd i l-CO$[

rario

Il.H I

0.3 1:1

1.87 2.02 0.96

6.n 17. 01 28.60

Table 3. Cost-return analysis (profi ta bility) fo r gar; production (from cassa va tubers) in Brass senatorial zone, 8ay elsa State. I",;",,,!:, \ ' . 1\ ...

(N: R.-vr-., ... IT ,,)

Ol\l:t>(r;'

V:AlII( (N )

(:ri {ampul. - ! ' 6 kji

1·: Id>t,I~

V . lu< i N)

'...,,' I'ri ... (to<ikt;)

TR ub i

I '}'JOU

:) ')00

l 'j " ()(l

'1,,, ..1>1.

eve,

C""'''l I Ub~ .. (UII;t

rrin!

12$

L!. ~O

v.:I1.. ...r \Im p'" (1 11110 k~

11.50

I Z ~OO

23.0 (,

<2\00

2.u r,

nou

17.J4

Tr·"' f· ,rl.,'un

4200

7.H

2 100

l?6

" l OO

~. 57

[\·d;,,~

(; 3()O

1I f,!

"00

I I.as

(i}OO

I2.8S

M"n

1.S.'i

1140

) 'l I)

4.7S

"00 :; 250

/0.7 1

W.•,h;.,!:

1.7 !

6311

J.)6

Gr"un~

1< 00

HI:'

I h"'';I1 CliJO~{lI ' '''';I .t:)

6.\00

II (,2

oj 21)'J

7.'Jl

r:,y",~

(, .'(•.1

11.7"

:i "1m

15.1\4

6:100

:a')

!'ud

2 S(il

" .Ii'}

2 ')4 0)

~ . 54

, '>4'

' .0

lu ~ n

1.')4

12:611

~ .3M

I 2(.11

042n05

nA9

41[)oiO

77.37

37 ( i')(i

t OOS

1.90

«lO8

Dn,,-a tc rill l; 6.: I,uklt;"!,; h" 1:

rve find

2'J

76.9

(O~ I

DCI',dJloll of pror.;r,inr. . h,-.j

r,.url F..,.~r

Ccra..;Pfu • kn;v:1

0r p()IIUr llry CD<{ rI QpiMI (2<l.S'liI)

11<:

I MII

1.8(1

1302

2.41:

1]02

3i S

O.7t1

'" 11.71

"'" 378

11.17

0.$4

0.5S

'94

I7.Gl

0)()2-4 .')(}

17.0 1

8 l .P.S

11.0 1

1220U

21. SI

22.(,3

II WH

Z}.IO

20 ()(.. s

54lfl'U

t;fY"" RU'lii-. erR-TVC)

-2/. 105

. 2; 14U

.21 7'10

No:-.

-2!

-}7I"'6.Sfl

.~ }

K.nd" .......... r u\i"

2.M

')222.3

Woll In. ~ Ilvro

2.0(,

.~ lJ<) __ '

O_2~ : 1

U.l":1

()4(.. S

0.12:1

01')00'1.8

1U9_1C

Q.(.O

Table 4. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for gar; production (from cassava roots ) in Sagbama senatorial zone, Bayelsa State. Tun~bo

i\d;' ~!'lbi ri

S:lf,b;lm:1

Value

Value (N)

V:llue (N)

(N) R<!\'~n lll.!

(TR)

Gar; (OUIpUl ) - 25(, kg unit price

(,0

65.50

15900

17 357.5

15900

INlk1'1

TR VJria ble cost (Ve ) Cm.wa tu be n (uyni r price)

6.5 0 6500 3150 3675 1260

24 .08 11.67 13.62 4.67

7500 3 151)

24. 31 10.21

3150

2 1.79 IO. 5G

5250

17.02

5250

17.60

630 630

2.33 2.33

1260 840

4.08 2.72

1260 630

4. 22

Dewaterin g (Press ing)

Frying Fuel

2100 2100

3156 2 100 1260

10.21 6.8 1 4.08

3 150 2100 1260

10.56 7.04 4.22

2305

7.78 7.78 4.67 78.9.

24510

79. 45

23660

79.33

378

1.40

378

1.23

378

1.27

Fryer

420

294

1.36 0.95 17.01

420

294

J.56 1.0')

420

CUIlI;tillers + kn ives

0.41 0.99 17.01 2 0.67

Vallie of ruher5 (1000 kg)

TnnspOrtalioll

Peel ing Wash ing

Gr.lliog

D ew~ tt'rjnr,

and pK b ging bag

lVC

126U

7.50

6.50 6500

2.1 1

Fiud cost

Depreciation of processing shed

Presse r

Oppon un ty cos t of c4Ipital (20.5%)

4591.4

TFC TC

5683.4 26988.4

GlOSS margin (TR- TVC )

Net retu rns erR-Tel ~nefit - C05t rat io

17.01 21.06

- 5405 - 11088.4 0.59, 1

5248.4 6340.4 30850.4 -715 2.7 - 13492.9 0.56, 1

20.55

294 5074.20 6166.2 0 29826.2 - 7760 -13 926.2 0.5},1

Cassava product m arket development There were no cassava processi ng facrories in all the commu niries visited except in Od i, Yenagoa zo ne with a "sm all ~sca le" cassava processi ng ou tfi t. T he factory was es tablished and managed by th e Odi Kiripe re Farme rs Cooperative Society Limired, an arm of [he Odi "armm' Group Management Union (OFG MU) . The factory had an in vesrme11l outlay of abo Ul Nl 000000. It was located nea r , he ri ve r (wi, hin ,he com muni,y) in a buildi ng clpproximarely 52 square meters, and provided grating and dewatering services CO comm unity processo rs. It produces about 0.525 to nnes of dewatered pulp per week

during off~scasol1 an d approx imately 0.875 tonnes of dewatcred pulp at peak season, that is, when flood- p rone cassava plo ts arc ha rvested. Fryers and starch prod ucdo n plants were yet to be installed .

Prioritized sites and products in Boyelsa State The crilCriJ for lhc selcClion of communi Lies for SME develo pment ca n be grouped into fOll r categorie);. They arc socia l, marker dem and and access, infrasrruc wres , and institut ions and arc rat ed <IS follows : â&#x20AC;˘ Soci:1l-w il lingn css , ownership. usefulness of product (food , income), securit y . Marker demand and access-Volume of OUtput , availability offarmland. wage rate, TVC and TC, profitabi lity, cost of b nd for building. lnfraslr ll crure- all season roads, electri city. water supply, co mmuni cation. market (local , sta te/ nat io na l, regiona l, and internatio nal), storage faciliti es. Instiltlli o n s-fi ncm cial, banks, ifltIfl , local mo neylen ders, educat io nal/traini ng, NGOs. CBOs, c()opc r~lIives, fab ric3tors, factories. Based on thest crireria, the com munities art: r<lnked as show n in Table 5.

Table 5. Priority ranki ng of comm uniti es for the esta bl ish ment of SME cassava processing pla nts in Bayelsa State.

Yenagoa zo ne Community Rank

Com muni r),

Rank

Community

Ra nk

Od i Opnkuma Sabagreia

Imi ringi Oluast"ga [Iebele

1st 2nd 3rd

Tungbo Sagbama Adagbabiri

2nd 3rd

l SI

2nd 3rd

Brass zo ne

Sagbama zon e

1St

Conclusion Based on commu niry preferen ce , volu me of trade. consum ption, and access ro market gaTi was the most import a l1l caSS3Va prod uct selected fo r sm alI- and medium-scale emerpris~ in Baydsa Srilfc. T he major co nsrr:linrs to gllri production in the stale were lack of equ ipment, finall ce, J nd transpo rtati on of caSS:lva roo ts from the (:Hffi ro the house. In most com mun ities, wo rn !.:n and m igranrs did nor have access to la nd fo r building th e factory (cassava processin g pla nt). H owever, the)" cou ld ~tcq ui rc (hest: lands thro ugh their fa mil ies and husbands to estab lish the processing pilot. The commu niry co uncil, with limited interference or cost , co uld give lan d easily. T ho ugh th e area seemt:d {O be m arshy and waterlogged, arabic land ex isted in all the comm uni ties for the production of cassava and all~seJson su pply of th~ crop to the pla nt. farmla nd fo r cassava production to feed the proposed cassava processing plan t was not a problem and access roads in the selected communi ties were generally good. Even {hough the: state was not co n nc:cted to th e national grid. these co mmuniti es had reasonably good access to electricity suppl y. Over 50% of the high casS;JV:l produ ci ng commu niti es had water chilr was fir fo r use in a processing pla nt and each of .-h<.. "'Sc comm uni t ies also had abu ndam water, which co uld be ava ilable. Gnri product ion was c:l pital intensive and based on gross margin and net re rum, gari produ ction enterpri se was not profitable in Barels:l State. at !east for the level of p roducrion un derta ken by the farm ers/p rocesso rs. For any cassava process ing enre rprise {O thrive in the S(;,HC, socioeconom ic and pol itical instiru t io ns must be present in th e selected com m unities to support cassava produCiion and processing activ it ies. Th c::re was no way these communities co uld ri sc above lhti r prescnt statu s in cassava process in g if rhe state go vernm ent did not provide the needed pol icy c nvironmcIH :lJ1d physical in Fras(nlcture to srimulare and susta in processi ng act ivities a nd markering of processed products. O di (Yenagoa w ne), Imiringi (Brass zone). and Tungbo (Sagbam a zo ne) srand our a, possible co mmu nities fo r si ring [he proposed cassava p rocess ing plant in Bayelsa State.

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Delta State

Introduction R~ct: ntlYI it was discovered that the Uga ndan strain of the cassava mosaic d isc;ase was movIng westw:l rds :lIld had ent ered Nigeria th rough Cameroon Icavin g destruction an d frusr ra tio n in ils wake. T he Federal Governm cm in a hid to fo restall (he repeat of rhe expe rience of Lhe 1980s with the cassava mealybug initiated th e Preempti ve Management of th e Virule n t" C!\'1D Projec t in Nige ri:L T he overa ll objective of the projecl is to crC:HC 3. firewall from th e disease the eaMern fla nks of th e cou nt ry that wo ul d break the westward m ovement thro ugh the d evelopment and deployment o f high yielding and di scase~ rcs i sta nr vC:lc ier ics. The CM D p roject is ex pected to inc rease cassav:!. productivity and precip ita te surpluses that m ust be mopped up dlrou gh appropriate processing and m arketing in re rvem ions. It therefore, becam e necessary ro ca rry out a needs assessment survey that would lead (0 the scnin g up of processin g and ma rketing fo rmations ill Delta State, one of the states selected for the project. T he overall objective is ro determin e the criteria for the establ ish ment of viable pro路 cessing and marketing interventi ons thar wo uld take care of rhe surplus ex pected in the CMD projec t. T he specific obj ectives are to und ertake a needs assessment srudy in nine commu ni ties in Del ta State; determine rhe polirical and institutional support fo r promo tion of a cassava com modi ty system in the state; evaluate the eme rpri se and marketing systems for selected cassava-based produclS at t he co mmunity and sta te levels; an d make recom路 mend at ions o n the st:iecrion and estab lishment of cassava prod ucts based on processing ente rprises at the com m unicy level.

Description of Delta State Ddra State lies berwee n longitudes 5" 00'and 6掳45' East an d latirudes 5掳 00' an d 6" 30' No rth of the equato r. It has a populat io n of2. 57 m illion people (FOS 199 1), rh e majorit y of whi ch Cl rc farmers. T he sra re has a humi d tro pical climate with rwo dist inct rainy and dry s~aso n s. Avtrage annua l rainfall is about 267 em in the coandl area and 191 em in the ex trem e north ern areas. Rai nfall commences in the northern areas in Ap ril and mu ch earli er tha n [h;1.( in rh e coastal region . Generally. (he ra in decreases in am oum and distribut ion fro m the nonhe rn a reas in October to the coastal areas in Novtmber. This gi ves a we( season o f 7- 9 months in the stare. The veget:n ion ranges from mangrove swa mp along rhe coast to evergreen fores t in th e mid dle and derived savanna forest in the cxuem t: no rth. The wide cuastal belt is i nrerlaced wirh nu merous rive rs. creeks, and cred Jets \"h ile the hi nt erland has many pe rennial rivers and strea ms wh ich form pa rr of the N ige r Del ta. T otal b nd area of the state is 17 698 sq km . La nd usc in th e sta te comp rises cultivable land (I I 681 sq km) , fores t water swa mp (1770 sq km), mangrove swamp (58-10 sq kmL and rai nfores t (10 08 8 sq km). C ultivable lan d is used for tree and arable crops. T he tree crops predominantly grown in the state are cocoa , oil palm . citrus, and kolanu r while (he arable crops include cassava, m aize, cocoyam . potato, yam , rice, and vege tables with a clea r prefe re nce fo r ca ~sava , ya m , ~:md maize. The mi xed cropp ing system is pred omi nant througho ut the 89

state. Aver.tge farm holding per brming family ranges between 0.5 and 2.5 ha . La rge fa rm holders :"Ire limi tcd J nd exist on ly amon g ,veahhy individ\lals, Land ownc: rshi p is both commlInal an d by inheri tance. th ough co mm unal ownt:rsh ip is f.1S ( disappe;tri n g. T IH.! coping mechanism for erosion , leaching, ~II1 J soil ex haustion is achieved I hrough shift i ng culci"a ti oll and the fallow system. A fallow peri od of between o ne and five years is obtainable in the stare. Forest , .... ith a heavy crown is alio obtainable: in tht: sourheasrern axis of the slate.

Research approach Selection of participating communities The local government areas with lItc highes t cassava p rod uction levels in the ir respect ive agricul tu ral zones werc selected from wh ich three co mmunit ies wi th the highesl cassava prod uction level in each LGA we re cons idered and visited. Following from th is sam ple frame. the team visited Abavo. Agbor-Nra. and Ekuku Agbor all from Ika South LGA in the north agricultural zone. In the central agricultural zone, the team visited Eku, Koko ri , and Okp. rra Waterside communities in Ethiope East LGA. In Patani LGA in Delta South agri cu ltural. we vis ited Patani , Ud uopho ri. and Abari communities (Table 1).

Table 1. LGAs and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Delta State. Senatorial zone

LGA

Community

Dd ta N orth

Ik. South

Agbo r-N t. Ekuku-Agbor Abavo

Del ta Central

Ethi ope East

Eku Kokori Okpara Waterside

Delta Sout h

Paran i

Ud uophori Patani Abari

<)0

Dota collection and analysis A team of rhrec muhidi sc iplinary consult-ants consrilt:tcd by IIT A Glrr ied out [he study fro m 7 to l-i June 200ti. T he cons ult ant s incl uded tW O postharvest specialists and an eco no mist. Rapid rural app raisa l (RRA) was used du ring data colleaio n . Secondary darn at the state levd on the Slams of cassava prod uction on a loca\ gove rnment area basis guided th e choice of ,he co mmun i,ies visited by ,he st ud y team (Append ix I). The 'earn visi,ed t he selected LGAs for th e needs assess mC!nr exercise. Va rious farmers, far me r groups. cooperat ives, fab ricators. training institutes, fina ncial institutio ns. microcredit agencies. and trad itional insti tu tio ns (traditio nal rule rs, o pin io n leaders. pee r and women gro ups) w ere interviewed . Info rmal inlervitws were used ro generate answers (rom the n:spondcms . Field observatSo ns. discllssions, and responses ,..'e re ce m ered on rh e p roduction level of bo th cassava and cassava prod ucts. ma rket acce..<;!i , instirutional SU ppOrl, avaibble infrastructu re. access (0 large contiguous Fumla nd , access to land fo r plant house, will ingness to embark on co mmercial agroprocessing enterprise, k nowledge of environmental h azard from agroprocessi ng acr iviry, gender desegregatio n. and availab le manpower, The data collection from d ifferent product reven ues and associated operational costs were used [Q estimate the profi tability of the selected cassava product enterp rises at the prevai ling market prices in the state for 2004. Priorit iza rion of dH~ comm un ities l nd suggestions for [he CMD Project was based on (he analysis of t he parameters on which t he d ata collection was based .

Main findings Community level needs assessment Delta North senatorial zone Agbor-Nta is located along the Agbor Sakponb a Road . Edo State. It is an old road w ith many potholes makin g :lccessihilicy f O (he communil)' difficuh. This facror also affected its access to nearby large m arkets. Ncyenhel ess, (he commun ity has co ndguou s land. ,\路h ich it was wi lling to culti vate to support th e project. The majo r cassava produc ts found in the co mmunity were for gari an d fiifi" They chasegari entetptise fat the CMD Project. Agba rNra lacks pipe bo rne wat!;:r but relies on p rivate ho rehol e.s for \. . ater. It also lacks electricity but has GS M network- hence there are private GSM cenrcrs in the commu niry. Then: is pos itive gender integra tio n w ith adequate manpower to sup pOrt rhe p roject. However. the commun ity W:lS reluctanr to provide a factory house for the CMD Project. Ekuku Agbar produces gari. fofo. and starch bur wished to go into co mmercial gari enterprise w irh th e CMD Project. The co mmunity ison th e Umu nede--Umutu Road. The Eku ku Agbor-UmUlu end of {he road had been reconsrrucred. while work was o ngoing towa rds the Umun ede (!nd at the t ime of visit. Besides. there ,vere"Ot:her accessible earth roads li nking other communities. The comm uni cy's b nd had been fractionaliz.ed on a fami ly basis bm t hey wcr~ willing to provide la rge porrions of land to su ppo n the projecl. The cummunity is also a hi gh cassava producing arca wi th goud mi crom illers. T he commun ity enjoys eleCiric iry and pi pe borne water , . . ith GSM com mun icatio n fa cility. They expressed st rong \ . . iJling ness to pro\,j d~ a f::t cto ry ho ust:. There \\,;as abundant manpower in th e community and ap propri att: ge nder integrat ion as seen during th e rapid rura l appraisaJ. Like olher commu nities in the senato ria lz.one, Abavo is about the Iarg~t gari producing co m mu nit y in that area. They have a comparative advantage fo r glly j processing rather than fiifu an d sta rch and ind icated their willingness to accept gelTi enterprise in the CM D projecr. T hi s co mmunity is lacared alo ng th e major road linking Agbor and Sapde, ensuring adequate access ibilit y. It houses one of the largest market s in {he State. Abavo has pipe bo rn e warer, elect ricity. and enjoys GS.M communicatio n facili ty. T he respondents reve-.ded th at their land was fracdonalized on a vi llage level, hence gening the required landmass to su ppa" the sc he me wo uld be d iffic ult. Besides. they were unwilling to provide a house for the project. There is gender integration and manpower requirement. Other small and m ed ium-sized m arkets around su pply [he large outp ut market in th e community.

Delta Central senatorial zone Eku is loca ted along the majo r road linking Agbor and Sapele. It is si tua ted at a juncria n with another lccessiblc TOld link ing Warri. This makes the communiry accessible (0 major m arkers dose by. Eku also enjoys pipe borne water supply an d dectrici ry. Ir has both land telephone and GSM services. Major cassava products found in Eku include gari.fofi" and stardl. They have a comparative adva nta ge in starch production . Nevertheless, the communiry

indica ted their unwill ingness [Q do nate lan d as well as prov ide a factory house. They w(:re of the o pinion Ihat ,he CMD project shoul d provide everydling including finance to bui ld the plant ho use. They were averse to make any commi rment to the project. T he gender im egration was o bserved to be weak an d there is doubt o n the availabiliry of ma npower. Ko kori In land is located on , he ro ad linki ng Eku an d Ughelli. It is accessi ble and wel l linked to a major ma rket. h s land was al so fract ionalized o n a village basis. D espite this inadequacy, lhey indi cated thei r willingness 10 provide lan d to support the project though th e land m ay n ot be conriguou s. T hey al so indicated willingness to provide housing for the project. T he comm unit y is into starch production,gtlri processing, and fufit enterprise. They were undecided 011 wh ich one ro choose but mo st res po nde nts favored gttri en terprise. The com mun iry cnjeays electricit y supply as well as pipe bo rne water. There ,vas GSM service. From the mct:ting hdd in [ht: co mmunit},. it is our opinion that there could be adequare manpower availability ?uc poor gender integratio n in me community. Okpar. Waterside is good in gan.fofo. an d starch producti on. However. due to lack of proper technol ogy for starch production, I hey' produce gnri mo re often but wished to go into starc h production for ,he CMD Project. This comm uni,y is on rhe Agbor-Sapele Road. By its locatio n, it is accessi ble by road and has dose access to a large market around it. Fro m the response of the respondents, the com munity has large communal land, which th ey prom ised to give to the p rojecc. Besides , they were willin g to provide a factory hou se fo r the sche me b ut requcsted a mi nimum nOl ice of one mont h . The co mmuni ty also enjoys eI<ctricilYs upply as well as pipe borne wate r tho ugh ,he vi cini,y of ,he taps was dry at , he Lime of th e fi eld visit. There was also GSM fa cility. In addition {here was gender integration as well as available m anpower.

Delta South senatorial zane Patani is a border 1'0'\'11 between Delta Stale and Bayelsa S拢3 re. It is li nked by both accessible ro ld and watervvays. T hese infrastructures make ir accessible (Q sources o f market; mo re of i, is fou nd in the neighbo ring villages fro m Delta an d Bayelsa states. T he commun it y enjoys adequare wa ter sup ply an d is also linked to the natio nal c:Iecrriciry g rid. Besides. it has adcq uate Id ephone services, lan d line an ci GSM. Pata ni has low and upland communal land. wh ich they wi llingl y ptOmi,eJ to m ake ava il able for ,he project. T hey also indicated high willi ngness to provide a ho use for the projCCL T he viable women g ro ups were of the opinion , ha' the project sho uld be des igned and im plemented alo ng female ge nder lines. [n addi l"ion, th ere was adequate manpower as we ll as suitable gender imegra拢ion in com munity affa irs. T he cassava producrs fo und in the area incluclegari. starch , andfufu. They ind ic~ted the ir desire to go into gllri co mmercial enterprise with the C MO Project. Uduop hori i, localed off ,he tOa d leading 10 Bomadi. off ,he Ughelli-Bomadi Road. Ir W路J.s accessible by vch icle on ly during the dr~' seaso n, a constraint to market ing. D espite th is problem. (he co mmunit y has adeq uate co nt iguous co mmunal land, which could be ust:d to suppo rt the project. They also indica ted interest 10 provide a factory ho use fo r gari enterp rise. O th er cassava p roducls fo und in the area incl ude frifu and starch. The co m路 muni,y has pi pe bo rne water bu t lacked elect riciry. No GSM network was observed in ,he

com mu ni ty. T here was sari sfactory gender inregratio n as well as available markel, and a few micromillers. The o nly road linkin g Abari from Asa ba-Ase is hard ly mo to rab le even during the dry seaSOll. T he communi ty is accessible mainly through water. This ma kes transpo rtat ion of fi nished products to m. rket o ud e" d ifficult. T he commun iry e nj oys GSM faci lity bu t lacks electricity. lr also has public wa ter supply, which was out of use at th e rim e of the vi sit. Neve rtheless, the com munilY has cOlHi guou s land. which they promised to prov ide to the project as wel l a.~ ind icat ing t heir wi lli ngne ss to provide a facto ry house. There are indicalions of m anpower ~va i labi l iry as wd l as suitable gender integration .

Institutional and political support Rnondo/ institutions/banks No fin.\n cial institut ion is loea red in all the commun ities assessed for the eM D agroprocess ing proj ect. The bank.~ are co ncentrated in the state capital Asaba, and the majo r cities such as Agb o r. W arri , Sapele. an d U ghell i. The nearest banks ro the communi ties visit ed are located at Agbor and Ughell i. They are U nio n Bank of N igeria Pic, Z en ith Bank, First Bank, Oceani c Bank. Nigeria Agricultu ra l. C ooperati ve and Rural Develo pme nt Bank (NAC RDB), an d com m un ity banks. A visit to U n io n Bank and NAC RD B showed the interest rates at 19 a nd 8%, res pectivel y. Inro rmation rrom the field also shows th a t U ni o n Bank is leadin g o ther ban ks in lendin g '{Q the farmers . The bank ins ti tuted an an nual merit awa rd for the best f.'l rm er every ye-Jr ro cnco ur;tge loan beneficiaries. Few farm ers have h owever obtained loa ns from NACRDB even when th e interest ralc was lower. This was due to rigid condi tion s attache d to loan acquisition hy the bank . G enera lly, all the banks admitted th at farm ers' claim that processing crcdi rlloan rook longer ( 1--4 mo nths), and 3uri buted th e problem 10 th e farmers' inabilit y to m eet [he m andatory requj rements for loan acqui sition . The far m ers had ea rl ier complain ed that th e banks usually relea sed rhe loan (Q them afte r the farm o pe ra tions/ ta sks fo r whi ch that loan was being so ught. T h is led to loan diversion into ot her uses. T he conditio n se t our by U nion Bank for agricultural credit acq uisit io n included 250/0 depos it of t he intendi ng 103n amo unt , o pening or cu rrent and (in some cases) savings accou nt, and prese nt ari on of two guar.mtors who m us t be of high socia] reputa tio n. The 25% d epos it served :tl collate ral fo r the loan . In addition to these requi re me",s, NACRDB anached a minimum of six mo nths tran sactio n prio r to th e release of [he loa n. Both U nion Bank and NA C RD B showed their willingness to grant loans to agro proce ssors provided rhe ente rprises for whi ch th e loan was sought were profirable enough to make repaym ent. They also preferred to loa n 1'0 far me r groups/coopera tives because such a stra tegy had been effective in the pasr. T he rarmers also confirmed thar it was easy ro access loans from banks in groups. The field survey al so observed that farmers used their gro up name as a guarantee co suppOrt rheir loan application, wh ich was acceptable to th e banks. For {he repayment te rm s, six months moraro riu m (grace period) was o blainable afte r wh ich ,he inte rest starred runni ng for Un ion Bank and NACRDB. Most beneficiaries

adopted monthly repayment either from proceeds from previous years' farms or from mandatory periodic contributions during their meetings. Thi.s was applicable to farmer groups. Though it has proved difficu lt and frust rating [0 some farmers to obtain loans from banks, farmers were not disco uraged and sti ll asked for opera tional loans . Surprisingly, most farmers were not discouraged by the high inrereSl rat< (19%) of Union Bank. The only discour<1gements between them and the banks were illite racy, long protocol in pr'ocessi ng the loan, long distan ce from their hom es to th e banks. and the associated high cost of processing the loan. On the part on the ba nk, they usually recorded few defaulters but late repayment was common. Following this survey, a good linkage progra m during CMD implemenration period could be introduced to improve uank/farmt::r relationships and facili tate both loan acquisitio n and recovery.

Equipment fabrication Equ ipmen t fabrica tion carried Ou( in the state was concentrated at Agbor. Ughelli. EfFurun, and Asa ba. The identified fabricators were small-scale with limited basic equipment such as \veldin g machines, drills , and cutting machines. The number of medium to large-scale fabricalOrs was quite low. 1\.1ost of t he cassava processi ng machines were purchased from within the stare, most of them sourced from Agbor, Ughelli , and EO"u run. The processing machines have little or no maintenance prob lem except for the grating drum that requires frequent replacements. The processors seemed to be sensitive to maintenan ce issues and invited fabricators when required . The frequency of machine breakdown was therefore low. Some of the processing m:1chines have been in operation for about eight years. The fa bricators seemed not to have any problem with sourcing for materials. Apart from the high cost of nat sheets, angles, and ch<1nneis, .hey sourced for mast of their materials from Warri, Onitsha, Nnewi, and Benin . Occasionally> they traveled as far as Ibadan and Lagos whe n critical components requ ired could not he;: sQurct'd from the surrounding markets. The cos ts of processing machines are fairly reasonable with the 6 hp Indian Lister prime mover sellin g ror between N35 000 and N45 000, graters fo r N 18 000, dewatering press ror N3D 000, and fryer for N15 000. T he cost of mach ines fa brica ted with stainless steel componenlS was high er. T hey, however, preferred this in view of th e prescribed standard requi rements for food grade products requi red in both the domestic and exporc markets.

Politicol support-government polides and programs Over the years. Delta State Govemment has promoted various policies and programs aimed at pro moting agricultural develop ment in the stare. The focus of the policies was the involvement of programs, which ensured that agricultural resources and services were directed to small- an d medium -scale farmers ro impro,'e their agricultural productivity and achieve poverty reducti on especially in the rural areas. The policies further aimed at ensuring food security, exporr promotion , and foreign exchange earnings. To realize thi s intention, the State Government esrablished a num ber of programs/projects. Some of these program.s were the

Communal Farm Setdeme nr Sc heme (CFSS). Tree Crop Un it I'rogrJl1ls (TCUP) . Rapid ro od D cvelopmel1l Prog ram (RFDP). Increased Food Prod ucr ion Progr311l orpp) . and rhe rec~n dy Li ve and Ow n a Farm Prog ram (LOAF) , among ut hcrs. T he Fc:dcnl Government-ini tiated ag ri cuiw r.li development projec ts (AD r s) in t he st<Jfe also enj oys various sup port (Tom the Stale Government. Other services inrrodu ced by the State Government to hoosr agricul tu re incl tlded tracto r hi rin g sC fvict::s, microc redj( program , cle. T he .Min istry of Agric ulture provides a leadersh ip role in the im plementatio n of these p rogram s.

The Stare Govern ment, in anticiparion of a possible glu t of cassava in the sta te, set up nin e processi ng .: : emc rs at diffe rent 10c.1( ions w irh th e overall objective of mopping up "excess" cassava and cO ll vertin g t hem into new p ro d ucts such as starch, ch ips, pellets, and flour Jnd by so doin g empowering th e far mers. Also. the go\'ernment con rinu ously prov ides feeder roads to the ru ral co mmunities fo r easy access to agriculruml producls. III aJd irioll to the Stale Gove rnm ent's elTon, the re were \'ario us dono r agency programs/proj ects. \vhi ch suppo rt agr iculcure in the stare. Fo r instance, rhe EU-spon so red mi cro program fo r Rivers. Baye lsa. and Ddta srates (MP P3) p rovides road/pathways, water borehole, and capacity buil ding to fa rme rs and m icrocredit assi stance to the rural people especia lly the agricu ltural co mm uni t ies. Aga in, rh e W'o rl d Bank-assisted Ro ot and T uber Expansion Program (RTEP) and rhe Joint FAO/FGN Special Program for Food Securiry (S PFS) co mpleme nt , he eno m of ,he Sme Government at va ri o us levels includ ing (he agroprocess ing ~ubsecror. UN D P also responds to po verty allev iatio n at t he rura l level th rough th e establishment of farms. fishpon d devdopme",. li vestock (p iggery) production. a nd agroprocess ing un its in some locat io ns in rhe sta re. Fu rth ermo re, various mul tin a,io nal o il companies such as Shell Perroleum D evelopment Company (SPDC) , C hevron. etc., have co ncinu~d 10 invest in ag riculture in the state. T he N iger D elta D eve:lo p~ mem Co mmi ss ion (NODe) equally provides vario us infrastructure (road. water, etc) and ca pacity building services to the ru ral areas in support of agricult u ral d evelopment. These programs apan from creatin g a n enabling en vironment for the Clv1D integratt:d projecr ro succeed also collabo rate with rhe project du rin g th e im plemencarion stage.

Rural institutions- Iradilionalleadership, NGOs, cooperatives The trad itional leadership style was st rong in the comm unities . Except fo r a few cases of gend er discrimination . the apex trad itio nal instiruti on leadershi p fram ework was conducive fo r project implementa tion in all th e comm uni ties. Also, rh ere were farmer gro ups with a few r<gistered coope r. , ives at the commu nity levd (Ap pe ndix 2). The presence af NGOs in the state spread s ~lCross lhe: agricultura l zones to supporr develo prnenr projects. The scams of t he NGOs were obtained from rhe dono r agen cy database at the state capital and confirmed in the field during the stud y (Append ix 4). Some of rh e NGOs were partner o rgan izations to do no r agen cies. All the GOs were service providers and re nd~r capacity building assistance to Ihe co mm un it ies. H owever, these services were rare to support sustai nabl e project initiac iv!:. Bur there was a S{ ro n g presence of peer groups, CBOs, or women groups in some of the comm un iti es to sup port the CMD integrated project. At Patani and Ekuku Agbof, for instance) there were viab le wo men 's groups. Some successful

developmenr projects at Patan i were cred ired ro Ihe women's gro up. Also at Ekuku-Aghor, so mc sliccessful community projects were naceable to th e eBa whose membership cut across men and women. 1\ few registered cooperative societies involved in agri culture were identified. Again, except al Patani an d Ekuku-Agbo r where up to three viable cooperati ves st ill exist, mO .~ t of th e cooperatives/farmer groups wert: weak and in mos t c.1.SCS, moribu nd. This was attribured to poor perception of the members about coope ra tives, b ck of coo perative skill, and poo r leadershi p. Some cooperatives were formed out of coe rcion and d urin g emergency pe riods to benefit fro m governm em largesse. The cooperative philosophy of coming ro ge[her to pool the me mbership reso urces (fi nan ce, lime,..and/or manpowe r) to benefit from economics ofs cale or number was no t known to the members. Wh ile CMD will benefit from the presence of th ese cooperati ves o r farmer grollps~ a chan ge of orie ntation was nece.ssary for do result-oriented implementat io n strategy. SOllle thrift organiza tio ns (!sum) were also present in the communil ies. But , again, their abil ity (Q render credit assis tance to their members was weak. In some communities, they provided microc redit assistance to members and nonmemb ers . In other co mm unities, they avoided non members entirely for fea r of default. They were risk-averse and p referred to share their money at t he end of the year. H owever, their atl itlLde to bankjng was commendable. Apart from serving as a savingslrural credi t inslitution. some me m bers reported th at /sum was a stro ng inS[irution , ,,:hich fostered unity at the village level. It also provided a good forum for t he members to discuss and access publ ic and donor agen cy projects.

MarkeVindustrial demand and access Field visits showed tha t market CllriC( S ex ist for gflri.fiifil, a nd starc h in t he stat e. In some of the markel'S visited where marker d ays coincided with the period of th e survey. large truc ks and lorry loads of gari 3nd fi4it we rc seen lcaving the local markets ro va rious destinations in ,vestern, northern, an d eastern Nigeria. At Abavo community, for ins tance, more tha n 80 tru cks of 10 to nnes each were see n full y loaded for th eir final journey to t he ci ties. T he situation was the same at Ekuk u Agbor Market, but not for Pata ni, Ud uop hori, and Abar i. More than t\vo large and three small output ma rkets were iden tified in all the co mmunities visited. Some of the trad itional rulers. opinion leaders, market wo men, and gari processors interviewed reponed tha t bctwee n 500 and 800 tonn es of gari and fiifu left their communities every markct day wh ich usually comes up a t 4-day imerva ls. Th is quantity according to them represented excess from local consumption and dom estic de mand. Appendix 3 represents ou tp Ut markets and marker outlets for the commu ni ties visited. T he survey also revealed that over 70% of the processors of cassava products were women. But men gradually came into th e business at the mid dle of the chai n of distr ibution. Two marketing arrangements were obta inable for cassava produc ts in the state. These in clude direct purchase o f the products from ,he producers by distant wh olesalers! middlemen. In some cases, they co ntracr indigenous agents monthl y or yea rly fo r daily collection of the products. T hei r ho uses or sto res served as collectio n center.s from where the products were hauled to the dties. The other arrangement was d irect purchase of the 97

products by reta ilers/middle men usualJy indigenous market assoc iation me mbe rs. During rh e scarce period. ,he d istam wholesalers usual ly have an un dersta ndin g wit h the retailers ro mop up the product for distant transportation. Gnri was bagged in 100 kg while wet ji,ji, was eith er ill 50, 100, o r 200 kg bags before loading ro the trucks for their fin al jou rney to {he cities. The effort of the producers and processo rs (0 dete rmine rhe prices of their products was Still weak and breaks down at every little bumper harvest or durin g wet periods. Bur in some cases, direct producers ÂŁraveled away from the market vicinity to ciries or other distant markets to break th e monopoly and exploitat ion of wholesalers. reta ilers. and conuact agents. But these categories of sellers were aga in confronted with problems such as hi gh tax dem;lnd by produce officers on rhe highways, po lice exto rt ion of mo ney for forced grarificnion. an d insecu ri ty from armed robbers. Sometimes. pay ment of school fees at the beginning of eve ry academ ic year by wards/school children was a good oppo n uniry for the midd lemen to cart away products at give-away prices. Other facto rs that ai ded the middlemen [Q inlluence prices were their membership in one commodity line or another. economic frustration , poverty level. and environmenra l haza rd in the farm . which shortens the gesta tio n period of th e cro p. But price co ntrol by middlemen breaks down completely during the dry season w hen [hey have ( 0 struggle to meet cit)' demand . T he survey showed tha r a price ran ge of N 1200-N1 500 was obtainable during the wet season and as hi gh as N2GOO-N3000 du rill g the dry season for a bas in measure of30 kg of gnri. FIt/it wasso ld in wraps of 500 gm and I or 2 kg at N20, N30, and N GO, respectively, during the wet season and abo ur doubl e this price durin g the dry seaso n. Jndustrial de mand for cassava-based products in (he state was still low and d id nor contribute to high cassava prod uction in the state. Most micromillers who were into starch prod uction elHerp rises were nor doing well. Some closed down comp letely due to poor or 11 0 access to marker. Som e operated at low capaciry. Others cl osed down fo r gari emerprise \",here a market was easil)' availab le in the stlte. Some of the processors who owned large cassava fa rms also div erted into JuJu production. which involves less techno logy. Surprisingly. some starch producers hoa rded market information . The team visi ted a starch processo r at Ablvo communiry w ho confi rmed that his so urce of market was Onitsha but was nOt ready to d isclose th e bu yers/end-uscrs of his product. Such monopoly of hoardi ng marker info rm at io n discouraged the cassava prod ucr de\<elopment d Tort. Up to two to three-year cassava fa rms were reported abandoned by ,he owners due to poo r market access for starch pro duction for w hich the farm was cu lti vated. This scenario was a grear challenge ro Cl\1D and a good opponuni[)' to expand enterprise development and crcare an effective market li nkage (rlmewo rk ( 0 suppo rt the projecr.

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Observations Agroprocessing characteristics of /he selected communities The com mun ities visited based on lhe level of cassava production were Abavo. Agbor-Nta. and Ekuku-Agbor from Delta North ; Eku , Kokori Inland , an d Okpara Waterside from Del ta Ce ntral; and Udu o phori, Parani , and Abari from Delta Sou th . The cassava processing me rhod.s employed duoughout the selected communities were virtually the sa me except for J few variatio ns. The process in g sites per community ranged from 6 in Abari to 22 in Abavo. In peeling, they all used peeling knives and no mechanical peelers were see n. Peeling was done by direct labo r and usually combined with harvesting operation. Harvesting and peeli ng a basin load o f cassava that weighs betwccn 8 0 and 90 kg of fresh roars in mosr of th e locations cost N500. This translates to about N20 000 fat harvesti ng and peeling of cassava that will produce one tonne of gari. H owever in Eku ku-Agbor. it costs about N300 fur h.rv<sting and peel ing of one basin load of gari that we ighs abo ut 30 kg. The peels were di scarded as waste. Faln ily mem bers carried out peel ing and most of th.eir labo r was nor us ually a cos[. In grating. the communities wil i1.c custom grat ers , \\'hich we re powt=red by a 6 hp Indian Liste r d iesel engine tank-drive, a one-hour c.a paciry grater. G ra tin g W<lS u sually co mbi ned with the dewa te ting process, which costS between N60 and N80 per basin of about 85 kg. This tran slatc< to between N 1200 a nd N 1600 for gra ting and dewatering to get o no tonne of mash or abo ut N3000 to N 4000 to get o ne tonne of gaTi. The o nl y exceptio n was at Uduophori where custom mi llers d id th e grating and the f'l rmers look thei r wer mash ÂŁ0 (heir hom es to oewatcr wi th sticks lied around th e hags. Apa rt from being inefficient, the meth od is crude and frustratin g. In fryin g gari. the frying trays were usually recra ngu lar. measu rin g 2 x 3 Fe and about Table 2. Distribution of cassava processing sites i n the selected communities. No of proce!si ng si tes

Senato rial z.one

LGA

Communities

Dd t. :"\lurch

lka So uth

22 14

Ddt:! Ccn tr.ll

Erhiope E:m

Abavo Ekuku-Agbor Agbor-N t3 Eku Kokori Inland O kpara w;uer side

16 13

Ddt .. South

Pata ni

Parnni Abari Udllophori

Source: Delta ADP 2003 .

9 18

6 8

4-6 inches deep. The frying n ays usually have mud built aroun d them to efficiently increase the heat , using firewood. Gar; was mostly produced at household level . [n Pata ni, it COSt about NIOO to fry 30 kg of gari, which excl udes the COst of firewood and feedin g. In addit io n to gari prod uction, all the co mmu nit ies produce fit/" and tap ioca. However Eku, Okpara Waterside, Kokori, Parani, and Ud uophori, also produce sta rch in additio n to the orne r producrs. The only community rhat has a batch dryer was Abavo, which urilizes the dryer for starch only. The batch d ryer is made of wood and the fa n was powered by a small 5 hf' diesel engine. T he dryer is fired by a kerosine stove, which was placed under a heat exchanger drum . T he f'rocesso r has lo ng si nce stopped product io n due to lack of market. The starch was sold for N65/kg and pacbged in 50 kg bags. At N65/kg, it was difficul t for the en trepreneur to break even hence the decis io n to StOP production. Al! the nine communities visited were q uite aware of the need to service and maintain processing machines. They do call in repa irers and fab rica to rs to ca rry o ut maintenance and repair jobs when necessary. Because of the hign level of awareness, the freq uency of breakdowns was qui te low. T he COStS of servicing and repairs were negotiated between the processors and the mechanics.

Cassava effluent controVmanagement As regards qual ity and hygiene, th e peeled cassava rubecs were not usually th oroughl), washed because of insufficient water. T he graters were sometimes washed afte r the day's ope rations but (he washing was not thoro ugh. Grated cassava was most times placed on the bare Aoo r wirho ut considering good hyg ien ic practices. T he fried gari was kepr in open containers where comaminariol1 takes place. There is need to train processors in quali ty control if gari and other cassava prootiCIS are to meet th e required stand ard fo r local and international markets. Almost all th e co mmun ities visited were ignorant of th e established pr.lctice.s for effiuclll ca nt roll manage ment. The effluent fro m process ing mills was allowed [0 run o n [he bare Aoor. Sometimes they were channeled ro nea rby gutters or to public streams. In some sites, it was chan neled 10 the main road. Only o ne si te at O kpara Waterside where th e effluem \-vas chann eled ro a soabway pit was sighted. The enterprise envisaged to be established by the elvi D project in these commun ities must have an effl uent management and environm ental co ntrol com ponent. Level of educaUon of processors The p rocessors inrerviewc-d were generally li terate with a primary school certificate ro vario us classes in seconda ry school. As e~l rl ie r reponed, record keeping was Ilo nexistell[ an d all operations were comm itlcd to mcmory with its expected human errors. H owever, th ey have a good undt: rstan ding of Clgroproccssing an d will rC'lllin: little traini ng to pe rform well in thei r chose n Cilssava-bascd prod uc(s devclopmcnr enterprise.

lOa

Problems confronting agroprocessors in the communities In all the commun ities visited th e processors co mplained of lack of raw materials (fresh roots). Ironically, rwo-thrce year cassava farms were seen virrually aba ndoned . Most of the constrainrs ce nter un high processing costs and low pr icing of gar; which inspire of the available m arket anracts very low profic This is clea rly captured by the cost-return analysis in. rhestudy. Poor access road is an other major lim itation to the processing enterprise. Some communi,ies like Uduophori. Agbor-Nta and Abari sufffr from poor access ro roads. which limits (h ei r process in g actjviries ma inly fa the day preceding the village markers. There is DO daily evacuation of prod uce as witnessed in Abavo and Ekuku#Agbor commun ities and (heir environs. Seasonal variatio ns constitute a majo r bottleneck to the far mers' desire (0 achieve consistency in supply of raw materia ls 10 the mil1s. This was reHeered in Patani \路,..here the processors complained of seasonal parr-ern of cassava production , limiting harvesring and processing in the community. The p rocessing machines were fairly sta ble except for the dewatering press. which was frequently faulty.ln addition, all ,he processors visited expressed were willin g to expand their .scope of operation exce:pt for cash constraints. The team also observed ge neral poor access ro loan acquisition by the processors.

Cassava production development Cassava is the predom inanc crop grown in Delta State covering an average farm size of 0.2 ha/f;Hm fa mily. The main cassava varieties cul tivated in thc state in cl uded TMS 30572. TMS 30555. K195. and some local varie,ies. Fmm srudies, ,he adoption ofrhe improved varieties was highest in the Delta North agricultural zone, wh ere average yidd of about 14 lOnnes/hectare has bec n recorded, The mean value for th e sta [~ was 13 tonncs/ha. The continuous rise in the adop tion rate of improved varieties and Ihe intervention of IFAD and World Bank-assisted cassava mulripliea,ion program (CM P) accounted fo rthe increase

in the levels of cassava prOduction in the state . I able 3 portrays the trend in the production of cassava from 2000-2002 on a local government basis in rhe stare. Agricultural practice in the state \\"as predom inantly in the hands of peasan t farmers who practice liule or no mech anization . H owev~r, there exist a few medium- and large-scale farms (hal require the use of tracto rs fo r bnd preparation and other mechanization activities. It is worthy of no te that it was no t a common p ractice for farmers in the stare to own tractors rather, aimost all the farmers depended o n rraeror hiring services of the State Ministry of Agri culture . Towards m ee ring up with farmers' demand. the minisuy has established nine (tactors hiring units. The essence was to bring tractor hiring service:s close to all farmers.

Cassava processing Cassava was usually processed in onc form or the other within twO to four days of harvest [0 extend its shdf路life from a feY\.' days to several month s depending on [he roOf tre:Hment. Cassava roots contain about 70 0;0 moisture and processin g targeted <Ie red ucing the moisture level was desirable for product stabilization and to reduce irs bulk and weighr to achieve efficiene and m ore effec[ive handling of the commodity. Processing \\'as also nece:ssary to

101

reduce the level of cya nide co ntained in vario us degrees depending on rhe variery. In all the eco nomic va lue was added to the product outcome. Processing awa reness \I/as high in Del ta State and pre!:ientl}', caoSsava is processed into gari,fiifir, starch, and tapioCl. In a study carried a lit by AIDU (2002), it was established that 92.3% of farmers process their cassava roots in to gari and other products such as fofo, starch, and tapioca . Gilri processing was predominant in the state. T he predominance of gari was fo ll owed by fi1ir (44%,) starch (22%,) and tapioca (16.6%). The treatment given to cassava to realize the various products was un ifo rm th roughout the state. Peeling, washin g, grating, fermenting, pressing. and fryin gprodu cesgari. The fermentatio n pe riod takes between one and fou r days dependin g on the desired charanerisric of rhe product. case.~ ,

Table 3. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for gar; production at cottage level in Delta State.

Revenue Gari Variable cost Cassava tu~ rs Peeling/washing G rating/pressing Sieving/drying Drying/cooling Fuel/firewood Packaging/bagging Maintenance of machine Total variable cost

Unit

3900

195000

13000

kg kg Bags Bags

7 30 60 80

9 1 000 3900 4680 6240 600 4300 4875 975 11 6570 5200 650 2430

56.70 2.43 2.92 3.90 0.37 2.70 3.03 0.61 72.63

1092 3900 4225 800 25625 .10 43924 160494. 10 74430 34 505.90 1.2 , I

0.68 2.43 2.63 0.50 15.97 27.37 100

78 78

Fixed cost Depreciation on shed Grater Hydraulic press Storage/ferm entation platfo rmfsoakaway Fryer Lister engine (8 hp) Containers/knives

â&#x20AC;˘

Cost of capital (19%)

Total fixed. cost Toeal cost Gross margin (TR-TVC) l\'er return (TR-TC) Benefit--cost ratio

102

Unit price N

Value N

Output

3.24 0.41 l.51

While g r~Hing :lI1d dewatering we re carried out in custom processing sites at a combined fee of N120/ 100 kg bag, the farmcrs sic \'e an d fry the dewa tered mas h themselves at home. In some ca.ses, they engage {he se rvices of custom fryers who charged N 160/ 100 kg of mash. The graters commonl~' used for gar; process ing are th e moto rized grate r, which is powered by a 6 hp Indian d iesel engine and mostly of the one tonn e/ho ur capacity. In very few cases, the 8 h p diesel engine was used for gratin g. A mecha nical screw press of about 4-6 bags capacity was used in the dewatering process. A few dewatering pre.ses utilizi ng hydraulic jacks were seen in few locations and the farmers cltlimed they co uld achieve I tonne/day of dry mas h. Nevertheless, at Uduophori (one of the communities) in Patani LGA it was achieved by tying the cassava mash with sticks. Steep ing fresh cassava roots in water fo r three (0 five days \...路here the roots undergo a fermentation process makes fiifu. The peels ' .... ere removed and t he soft mas h was sieved to remove the fibers . The mas h was rhell pur illlo bdgs to allow the water to drain freely. No ma chines were required for fiifit processing except for odorlessfofil, which requires some ma chine application and had JUSt been introduced in the state. Peeling. washing, and grit ting freshly peded cassava and mixing with water to separate the sta rc h milk from the pulp. produces starch. The starch milk is pur in sedimentation vats to allow the starch granules to settle. The water is drained off and starch is collected from the bottol11 of the vat. T he quality of starch obtained by this method may not be high due to lack of dryers to dry th e starch (0 safe mo isture levels immediate1y after production. Starch processing utilizes the same processing machines as gart in addition to nne sieves and sed imentation vats. Starch is a major food staple in Delta Srate and is consumed by the Urhobos, lso kos, l tsekiris, Ukwanis, and ljaws. This group acco unted for more than 2/3 of the state pop ulation . \,(ler starcb is also lIsed for la undry purposes. Tapioca (or wet abacbtt) is produced by peeling, boi)ing, slici ng, an d steeping cassava for one day after which i( is washed and eaten as a snack. h is so metimes served with coconut or ground nut. Productio n of tapioca does not requi re processing machines. The processors constitute themselves into groups of 15-25 people. The number of processi ng gro ups from the study conducted in 1995 by .he Delta State ADP was es.imated at 116 5 wi th the highest num ber of213 in lka nonheast an d the lowest in Burntu. However, the ownership pattern favored sole ownership, which constitutes about 950/0 of the total cassava processing enterp rises in the Slale. The processors source their cassava root.s directly from thei r fa rms or purchase them rrom ne ighboring farms and markets. The prevailing cost of cassava roots was about N 7000/tonne. The transpof[at io n of roots to processing sites was cumb ersome as transporters charged about N2000/ pickup load for an average distan ce of 20 km . People bought cassava products directly from the processing sites or they transponed it to nearby markets. The prevailing price for gari was N5D DOO/tonne. The selling price for starch, dty, and wet fiifU was NIOO OOOltonnc, N80 OOO/tonne, and N 30 DOO/ton ne, respectively. Mos[ cassava processors were females. though the presence of men as major stakeholders in the enterprise was substantial. Most of them have the basic education required (Q manage the business. lnsp ite th is, bookkeeping was lacking in most processing enterprjses.

103

Storage of cassava The re was no sror.J.ge of roots in [he st;H C. T he lva ibblc technology wa s expe nsive and h::td Ijule or no econom ic va lu e since rarm ers pn:(erred to proct:ss the root.s immediarely afre r ha rves ting or leave thl: ro o t., in th e soi lullt il when req uired. Thi s: explains why roo t srocagl.: had not ye t be~ n :ldo p red in spire of L111: research resuh:s from N TSPRJ 3nd NRCRl. Srorilge of cassava produ cts is for sho rr periods and mos t of (he time. (hey do not stay longer than the next marker tby. This sto ra ge demand does no t require ex pen sive and elaborate storage structures, which in rum wou ld add ro Ihe cost of production. However. wit h m ore sophist icated m arket.s likely to emerge in rhe Fw ure. an elaborate storage holding syste m may be required to enable appropriate bulking that would enco urage large-scale marketers ro move products from o ne locatio n w ithou t having to sou rce the ir requ iremenrs fro m marke t 10 market as bt:fo re.

Production cost and profitability of major cassava products in Delta State The prod uction costs and pro firab iii ry of major cassava-based products fou nd in (he sta te

.co presented in Tables 5-9 . The analysis was based on a hectare yield (12.5- 14 .5 tonnes) of cassava roots obtai ned in the Slate during the survey. All es timates o n depreciatio n on machinery, too isl and equipm ent were b ased on the st raightline m ethod . T he cost of capita l (t 9 % ) was based on the interest rate from U nio n Bank of Nigeria Pic where the majority of f.umers interviewed benefited From a loan faci lity. Cost- return analysis of gari production enterprise from 13 to nn es of fresh cassava roots indicated a gross margin ofN74 430 and a neo return ofN34 '505 as sec n in Table 5. The BC R is 1.2:1 (Table 3). T he low profit level of gari enterpri,e compared w ith "arch a nd fofo was attri b uted to the prevai lin g market price during the survey. T he study obse rved th at the price of gnTi was usually lowest durin g the wet SC<lson at a range of N 1300-N 1500 for a 30 kg basin m easure and between N2600 and N3000 du rin g the d ry se35on . Analysis indicates that abour 3.9 tannes of gari was realized from 13 tonnes of fresh cassava rOots. The profit ability analysis of starch production en te rpri se at the cottage level and medjum~scale level based on 13 ro nnes of fresh cassava rootS revealed a gross m argi n of N 1 966 530-N237 400 and a net profit ofNI 128 347- N1 27 907 , respectively (Tables 4 and 5) . The BCRs are 1.7: I and 1.4 , respectively. The rdative hi gh levels of fixed costs ob tained in starch productiun at borh cottage and industrial levels indicated thar the enterpr ise was capital- intensive. Impro vem em in the techn ology is ex pected to en hance the etTiciency of slarch ext raction. in crease starch qu alit y, improve re1Urn on irive~ilmenr, and expand t he market base. About 3.9 tonnes of starch was ob ta ined industriall y fro m 13 to nnes of fresh cassava roOis and up to 3.2 toones could be realized from ,he so me to nn age at cott age level. Fulu was increasingly gai ning w ide acceptance in the city foo d market, constituting about 50 0/ 0 of ' ...路rekly foo d imake for most homes. For the producti o n at ho m estead and conage levels, [he cost路 return ana lys is indicated a gross margin of N ?? lOO--N 204 570 and a netreturn ofN 40 628 and N 20 1 83 1.10 , respectively, asseen in T ables 6 and 7. The BC Rs of 1.2: I and 2.2: I , res pecr iveiy, are obrained. The posi t ive valu e of their BCRs showed rhat

104

bOl h t! l1lt:rprises were profilablc:. Th e higher val li e of bot h gross margin ,mel ncr return over o fgnri also just ifies lhe farmerslproccs.mrs preference for fljil enterprise o ver gnri in rcccnt

rimes as o bserved during rhe field survey. About 1.5 ronnes of dry fi!iil (odorless{lIfil) ,nd 7 l"Onncs of w<: t fiJI( were obt<lincd from 13 tonncs of fresh cassava roors. Tabl e 4. Cost-return an alysis (p rofita bility) for starch produ ctio n at cottage level i n Delta State. Un it

Un it pri :.'e N

Value N

3250

100

325 (100

13 000

Peel ing/washing

9 1000 3900

G rating/rasp ing

4000

Scret: nin glsie... ing

1000 1300 1200 1200 2500 13 000 11 9 100

Ou tput

Re'o'e lllu:

Starc h Vari :lble

COS !

CasSlva tubers

O(:w<I.(ering/pressing Drying, Drylsc rccn i ngi pu !vcrizj nglm illi ng Fuel (kerosene)

P.lckag ing/scaling Total v;u iable cost

46.27 1.98 2.0 3 050 0.66 0.61 0.61 1.27 6.61

60.56

Fixed costs ;200 4225 路j400 13 750 1300 2430 8650 2200 2000 2000

Dt'preci;n ion of processi ng sheo Lister prime mover (8 hp) Ra!O per Starch m ill eX lra Cto r Sedi nlt:lHJ.tion channelll:mks Dewat ering prru

B;Hl.:h Jr)'cr Pul veri7.erllot; brt"aker Sifter Dry ing platfo rm CO~ (

cap inl (19%) TOIaI fixed cos t

TOfili

COS !

Gro!;S In<l.rgi n (T R-VC) N et reru m O"R-TC) Benefit-cO!'i l raTio

lOS

2.64 2. 15 2.23 7

0.66 1.24 路,.10 1.1 2 1.02 1.0 2

J 1.,'I0

19.4 1

77553 196 653 205900 128347 1.7, I

39.43 100

Table 5. Cost-return analysis (profita bility ) for medium-scale industrial starch production in Delta State.

Unit

Uni c price N

Value' N

3900

lOa

390 000

13 000

91000 3900 4000 1300 1000

Output Re~'enuc

starch

V:u;3hlc= (Us, CaSS:W;1

tu bers

Peel inglw:l.shint,; GroH iu g/usp ing

Scrccning/li ieving Dcw~[erill g!p n:ssi ng DryinG Dryl s~' rt:e ningl pulve r: zi ngl mill i II g

1200

1200 36 000 13000 1462 154 062

Fuel (3 drums d ie~ei ) Packa ging/SC!2.ling Chem ical !r~;Hment (bleac hing agem) Tot:l l v;u inblc;: cost

Fixcd

34.68 1.48 1. 52 0.50 0.38 0.45 0,45 13.72 4.96 0.55 58.72

COStS

10 833.20 4225 44 00 13750 2600 2430 36 11 2200 2000 30000 4344 3.30 117292 262.3 55 237 400 127 645 l A, I

Depreciation of procc:ssing p lant house

Liste r prime mover (8 hp) Rasper Starch mill eX1T3 c to r Sed imentation c hannel/ ranks Dewa ;ering press rta ~ h dryer

Pulve riz.e r!log hre:t ker Sifll!rlsieve Installation cost Cos t of capi lli (19%)

Torallixed

CO.o; I

Total COSt Gross margin (T R-VC) Net re-fu rn (T R-TC) Bene fi t- cost ratio

10 6

4. 13 1.6 1 1.68 5.24 0.99 0.93 I

0.35 0.76 11.43 16.56 44.70 100

Table 6. Cost-return analysis (profita bil ity) for wet fufu produ ct io n (homestead) in Delta State. OmpUi

Ur.it

7000

Un it price N

Reven ue

Frfu Variable cos' s

21 0 000

Gross margin (TR路Ve)

9 1 000 13 000 5200 1000 184 00 4300 132900 5000 2000 2430 27042.70 36 472.70 169372.70 77 100 40627. 30

Wet revenue (TR路TC)

1.2:1

Ca .~.~ ava

luber

13000

Ex I racti o n/sit\'ing Water Prnsi ng

P:lrboil/wr;lpping

Fudwood T otal va riable COS t

Fixed COSt Depreciati on of shed Containen , peeli ng kni ves Prcs5 Cost of capilal (19%)

Total hll:ed COsts TOIal cost

Benefit--cost ra rio

107

53.73 7.68 3.07 0.59 10.86 2.54 78.47 2.95 1.1 8

1.43 15.97 21.53 100

Table 7. Cost-return analys is (profitability) for odorless fufu production (cottage level) in Delta State. Unit

Un it price N

455 0

364000

91 000 3900 4000

OutpUI

VOl IUt:: N

Reven ue:

Fufo Variable COSt C.lssava ruber

000

rcding / wJ.~h in g

Cr.1ting/pn:ssing Water

2IJOO

Sieving Drying

18200 1200 2730 123430 5200 650 4225 2430 2000 800 1092 26567.10 38739. 10 162 169. 10 240570 20 1 831.10

Packagmg

To tal variab le cuSt Fixed cosrs Depreci.ni on of processing shed G roner Prime: mover Liste r engine (8 hp) Press Seivc:rlsifter ComainerJpcd ing kni v('s Soaking reserve/ rermen tation va l

Cost of capi tal (19%) T ota l fixed co ... ,

Total COSt Gross lOugin (TR-Ve)

Ne t return (TR-TC)

2.2: 1

Fh::ncht--<:O!i ' r;ltio

108

56. 11 2,40 2,47 1,48 ] 1.22

0.74 1.68 76.11 3.2 1

DAD 2.60 1.50 1.23 0.49 0.67 16.38 23.88 100

Recommended sites and products In line with the te rms of reference for this srudy. the following criteria were adopted for choosing the sites by the consultants: access to the community and m:uket. availahiliry of land. wlilingness to donate land. access to water and e1ectriciry? presence of communication facility. willingness of the community to provide factoty house. gender integration. and manpower availability. Most of the communities visited possessed ample opportunity to meet up with the desired criteria for site selection. Nevertheless. on prioritization, some communities possess beneT characterist iq th an others. For ins tance. in Delta North , Abavo ranked highest in accessibility both.to the commun ity and market but its weak gender integration was a hi nd rance to siling the project. Besides, the unwilli ngness of the commu nity to donate land and also provide a factory house made ,he community unsui table for the project. Even though Agbor-Nta was a viable option. it lacked access to water and electricity. The team's selection of Ekuku Agbo r was on {he basis afits accessibility, willingness to donate land to support the project. and provide a factory house. The positive gender integration w ithin the community as against other locations also distinguished Ekuku Agbor as a suitable site for the project. The [earn therefore suggested Ekuku Agbor for the agroprocessing project in Delta North agricultural zone. In Delta C entral, all the communities were accessible makin g p roduct marketability easy. However, the availab ility of contiguous land in Okpara W ate rside. th eir willingness to donate it, and co ntribute to the project in terms of plant house inAuenced their ra nking over others. In Del[a So urh . all the communi t ies assessed have enough man power to support the project . ~evertheless , lack of accessible roads to Uduophori and Abaci was considered a great limitation fo r the success of the project in the two communiries. Parani, in addition co its acccssibilitywas ranked h ighcS[ due to their willingness to provide a factory house and dona te land for the scheme over other compe'ing co mmunities. Besides. the high level of gender imegrarion in the communiry contributed to the team 's decision to choose Patani as a suitable sire for the project. Tab[e 10 clearly indicates the ranking of the comm uniries according (Q the critcda se t for t he selection exercise and the com munities recommended by the consultants for [he CM D agroprocessin g project.

Conclusion In line with the terms of reference presented to the consultants. Ekuku-Agbor. Okpata Wa tersi de, and Patani communities from Delta North, Central, and South senatorial zones. respecfively. were recommended for sdectio n as the most favorable communities for the CMD agroprocessing project. While the team forecasted ,uccessfu[ implementation. it suggested that a linkage framework be explored and incorporated .. a component of the project. This was ro facilitate market information. bank/farmer relationship. and capacity building (for rural institutions. CBOs. NGOs. and other partner organizations) in enterprise d evelopm enr, p roduce development/standardization, enterprise management. and environmental control for successful project implementation. The team aho suggested that 109

full collaboration be explored with other major stakeholders in both fresh root production and agroprocessing subsecm rs in the state. The proposed CMD agroprocessing program was feasibl e and the initiat ive will furrher increase production levels of fresh cassava roots, cause divers ification of enterprise in the cassava subsector. and improve the economic slams of cassava farmers. This was fundamen tal against the backgro und of the Federal Covernment program on food security and the export m odel of the Presidential Initiative all Cassava. The commun ity's high level of willingness to participa te in the project was a positive developm ent , which portends sustainability of the project th rough co mmuni ty/group ownership. There were farmer association s. cooperatives, an d NGOs in the state. Some were weak and would need capacity building to effectively bring the m on bnard fo r the CMD project. Evidence of good institution al and political support for agricultural projects exists in the state. Both the Federal and Slue governmems have evolved a lot of programs to boost agricultural production in recem times. Donor agencies and multinational oil companies were also implementing/aiding the implememation of vari ous agri cultural projects in th e state. T hou gh thei r level of assistance was still low, there were enough financial institutions (banks) ro support commercial agroprocessing develop mem in the state. The farmers' major problems in loan acqu isition are cos t of processing the loa n, distance to the ban ks, delay in loan release, and frequent disappoimmems to acquire the loan afte r d ue pro.cess had been comp lett:d . Surprisingly, interest rate was not a hindrance to tlie f2rmers'lagropro cesso rs ' Joan acq uisit io n and as a res ult, banks recorded few defa ulters. T he banks, therefo re, prefe rred to disburse loans 10 formal groups/ cooperatives. T he re was a good road ne(Wo rk that accessed the rural areas in Delta State. T his has facili tated transportat io n of large tonnes of cassava-based products, especially gari and fiifit , daily fro m the commu nities visited to all parts of (he country and neighbor in g co untries. For instance, an average of 800 ronnes of gari and Jufo combined left Abavo market every fou r days to th e cities and neighboring countries. Fabricators in the stale are co ncentrated in lhe m ajor cities ofWatri. Agbor. Sapele. Ughelli. and Asaba . AJI the fa bricators carry ou t installation and after sales services, which was favorable for th e CMD project. The processors seemed to have ma inte na nce :lwareness and only a few have basic knowledge of machine mainte n ance. T hey rely mostly on fa bric:]lOrs and mt'chanics to ca rry our thei r repairs a nd maintenan ce. Processi ng of cassava- based products was high. though un derdeveloped and usually at microscale level to sustain basic domeSlic needs ra ther th an for commerci al purposes. Smallscale, m echanical/ma nual operated machines dominate the sce ne as no large-scale plants were identified . The excess products from domestic demand/level co nsumptio n that are hauled to the cities were nO[ primari ly because of participation in commercial agroproce5sing enterprise bur to m eet em ergency family t:conomic needs. Also. most processo rs were not conscious of the re turns on in vestments as no prope r records Wl"re kept. T hey commit thei r opera tions to human memory hereby exposing thei r business to poor management. This was a good opportunity for the CMD project. Similarly, marketl marketi ng arrangement 110

was still underdeveloped and in the hands of middlemen and their contract agents. Most disturbing was that poor market information exists for starch and chips processors hence

their level of production was quite low compared to gari andfofo. Industrial demand for starch and chips was equally low. Apan ITom Top Feeds Nigeria Ltd at Sapele. the industrial de mand came from Lagos, Benin, and Onitsha, However, cost-return on investment

(profitability) for gari. starch. andfofi' was positive. T here was poor environmental managemem and control in [he agroprocessing business in the state. Effiuent was channeled wrongly, constituting serious environmental hazard [Q the society.

The success of the project would be catalyzed by improving the farmer/bank relationship. proper market linkage. capacity developmem services to the communities, farmer group farmarion, NGO participation. enlerprise development and diversification, product development/standardization, and environmental control/management:. Collaboration with other stakeholders such as industrialislS and industrial end-users, government agents, and orher donor agencies in cassava business was advocated.

111

Appendix 1 Cassava production trends in Delta State from 2000-2002.

Local govt aTeas

Production figutes (r)

Average pro.duaion figu re

Cul tivated area (ha)

Delta North zone

2000

2001

2002

(I)

Average

Aniocha North Aniocha South Ika N orth East lka South Ndokwa EaS! Ndokwa West Os himil i North Oshimi li Soulh Ukwa ni

427 11 40961 58921 64 633 61 882 59 006 25396 25 04 0 54 197

45530 43 665 6281 1 68899 67869 64735 27862 30 611 57774

50239 45 197 69 261 71 269 70204 66962 28820 31664 59762

46 160 43 274. 1 63697.6 682Gr 66645 63567.6 27359 291 05 57277

3550 .77 3328.78 4899.82 5251.31 5 126.54 4889.82 2104 .54 2238 .85 4405 .92

54 794 44496 35648 35733 34766 36646 37125 31 8 15 29552 10 605

584 11 47433 39 109 39203 37 06 1 40264 39 575 33915 31 513 II 305

60 420 49065 40 454 40552 38336 4 1 587 40936 35082 .12597 11694

57 875 46 998 38400.3 38499.6 36721 39505.6 39212 33604 31 224 11 201.3

4451.92 36 15.23 2953.87 2961.5 1 2824.69 3038.89 30 16.3 1 2584 .92 240 1.85 861.64

4095 1478 7066 37 10 1331 6127

4256 1575 7752 3955 1419 653 1

4403 1629 801 9 4091 1469 6755

4251 1560 7612" 3918 1406 6471

327 120 585 .54 301.38 108.15 497.77

Delta Cent ral z.one

Erhiope East Ethiope West !soko Soulh !soko North Okpe Sapele Udu Ughelli North Ughelli South Uvwie Ddta Sout h zone Bomadi Burutu

Patani Warri NOrTh Warri South Warri South Wesr So.rcc: Ddtl

Stat~

AOP 2003.

11 2

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Ebonyi State

Introduction In pursuance of three of the issues and challenges of cassava in Nigeria (processing and storage; diversification of casS:lva use; and ma rket and marketing co ns traints) which cut across postharvest and m arketing, a multidisc iplina ry team of three (food processing technologist. agricultural engineer. a nd agricultural eco nomist) was properly constitmeu [0 set o ut to ascertain the backgro und needs of the representative communities in ord er ro fashion rhe strategy, ma gnicud e. an d extent o f providing measures/solutions to the problems that have become and remained endemic with them. This team was requ ired to undertake a needs assessment in nine rep resentative communities in Ebonyi State; assess the insti tutional and political suppo rts fo r the promotion of impJoved cassava postharvest technol ogies and expanded utilizat ion in Ebo nyi State; using a demand-dr iven ap proach. eval uate the enterprise and ma rket for selected cassava- based products a t the communi ty, state , and regi onal le\'e1s; an d make recommendations for the selection , inrroduction, and estab lishmen t of com mu nity-based cassava processing plam. based on products, returns on investment, income generation. and positive impact.

Description of Ebonyi State Ebony i St:lt~ hlS di stin ct wet Jnd dry seasons. The tempera mre ranges from 25" to 30 "C with the intensit y increasing from the so uth northwards. This accounts for the wide biodiversity of the;: flora, wh ich ranges fro m the swamp th rou gh rhe hi gh ra in forest to the savanna lands of the no rch. T he main crops grown in the state are CaSSaYl , yam, rice, plantain, banana, CO COYlffi. mai ze, cocoa, rubber, groun d nut, and oil palm. Government is now encouraging the establ ishm ent of oil palm. pineapple, and cashew. Em phasis is also being placed on fish farming as 3. means of diversifying t he agricultural economy of the state.

Research approach Selection of participating communities The Pro ject M anage r of Ebonyi Srare ADP (EBADEP) provided rhe [earn wirh so me background informa t;o n . So me ,路olu nteers at Ikwo LGA ht:adqu arrcrs , durin g the N igerian Llbo r C ong ress (NLC)-Ied sn路ike, some indigenes of N gbo clan at the O kwo r market, and mem hers oflshiagu ro yal flmil y all helped us to finally choose [he largest cassava producing LGA in each senator ial zone, and three representat ive co m munities in each of the selected L GA~ as shown ill T J.ble I .

115

Table 1. LGAs and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey In Ebony; State. Senatorial D isrrict

Loca l G overnme nt Area

Co mmuni ty

Ebonyi North

O ltaukwu

Eili um

Okpo,hi路Eheku Umuaga ra- Iz.hia Ebonyi G: nl1al

Ib vo

Eka-Awoke Ekpaom aka N oyo

Ebonyi Sourh

Ivu

Abeze

Ihie Ishiagu

Dala collection and analysis The co mmun ities were sco red. T he fotaJ score obtained by each co mmunity was lIsed to ra nk the suitabi lity of rhe com muni拢ies 3S a pQ[enrial site for the proposed caSS3va processing plan t in each of [ h~ senatorial lones. Insrirurional s upport~ within tht: co mmunities were exami ned. T his exe rcise was carried our b<:),o nd the vicin ity of sc le.c lcJ :. :o mmun iries into other areas of th e state.

116

Main findings Community level needs assessment Ebony; North senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected/or 5MB. Gari,fiifu. and capioca are the most common cas~ 53,":\ prod ucts p roccS6cd in Ebonyi No rth scnaroriaI1.one. In add ition to these. rh~ peo ple of Effium commt1niry process cassava [0 fl ou r and the people of Umuagara-lzhia process it imo {lour and starch. T he selected cassava produce for StvlE in the three co mm unit ies was gari.

Community knowledge ofttjuipmmtfabricators. The machinery required for rhe seleered cassava prod uct is recognized as 3n integrated cassava processing plant. While the people Eff~ hum hope d TO o btain the plant fro m Enugu . Abakaliki or Oni tsha , the people of Ok posh iEheku hoped to obra in theirs from Onirsha o r Enu gu, and rhe people ofUm uagara-lzhia Ogoja Road , Ababliki, Taylor Avenue or PRODA, borh ar Enugu. Availability ofcasSIlva roots and pTodudion costs. All the communities hoped to sOl!rce for fresh cassava roots fro m t heir co mmuni ty and were willing to suppO rt the project with cassava ro ots all year roun d. The COSt of productio n ofgil,; in this se nawria l zone is shown in T:lble 2. T he cost of p roducinggari was highest in Umuagara-b.hia where it cost almost NI3 ro produce one kil o of gari. IT was cheapest in Okposhi-Eheku (N 11.65/kgl where the COSIS of grindi ng, pressing, drying, and frying were lowest. In all the communities visited in this senatoriClI zo ne, peeling and was hing of cassava roots were perform ed by men , women, :lnd youths though the wage paid for this activiry differred with gender. For instance, in Effium, men were paid N550/day . women (N500/day), and youths (N400/day). A similar trend applies TO drying and frying of cassava mash in all orher loca rio ns (Table 2). In rhe same vei n, land is cheaper ar Okposhi-Eheku (N 100 OOO/plor) rhan rhe o rher TWO locations (N15 0 OOO/plot).

117

Table 2. The costs of processing gar; in Ebonyl North senatorial zone.

Cost/kg Peeling and wash ing Grinding and press ing Drying and frying Total coS[ (N/ kg) Wage rate for men (N/J ay) Peeling lnd was hing Drying and fl)'ing Wage rale for wome n (N/d ay) Peeling and washing Drying and fry ing Wage rate for yourhs (N/Jay) Peeling and wash in g Drying anJ rrying COst of one plot ofland (5 0 x 100 f.)

Efllum (N)

Okposhi-Eheku (N)

Um uagara-Izh ia (N)

2.70/kg 4.IO/kg 5.15/kg 11.96/kg

3/kg 3.BOikg 4 .75/kg 11.65/ kg

2.15/kg 3.30/kg 7.50/kg 12.951kg

550 240

550 200

350 420

500 200

500 175

300 350

400 180 150000

350 150 lao 000

250 300 150000

Sale o/cassava and cassava products. In all the three locations visited in th e zo ne, the main clients for cassava products were individual traders from Port H arco un , Enugu. Owerri. and Aba. In additio n to these. trade rs from Lagos putchasedgari at Effium and those from Abakaliki bought fro m Okposhi-Eheku and Umuagara-Izhia. These transaerions took place every scheduled market day (five days at EfJium and Okposhi-Eheku. but every four days at Umuagar-lzhia). Constraints to cassalJa processing. Inadequate finance an d poor access roads were the major constraints to cas.sava processing in this senatorial zone. In additio n to these. non availabi lity of equipment was a problem at Effium. At Umuagara-Izhia. nonava ilabi liry of equipment. poor marker access. an d low profit margins were considered additional constraints. Tracrors wc:re not ava ilable for use in the senatorial zone. Even in Effium where Amaeke-Amajim Cooperative Society used to have Olle, it was no longer function ing. Will;ngn~ss

to own cassava processing plant. In each of the selected communities.

several individuals and gro ups declared Iheir willingn ess to finance cassava processing in the se natorial zone . Ar Effium. rhey include Amaeke-Amajim Coopera tive Sociery. Ere in Council. Weefa Development U nion. W igbeke Development Union. Effium Development Union . U muezeokoha Development Union. His Royal Highness Eu Basil Ede Awoke. and Honorables Frank N. Onwe a nd Moses Okpogo. At Okposhi-Eheku. they are: OkposhiEheku Central Council. Apace Farming Cooperarive Society. Inyimagu Cooperative Socie'}路. Ndiagu-Ngbo Cooperative Society. Otuo kpoye Farmers C ooperative. he in Council. Dr Icha hume. Engr. Amos Okabe Gabriel Udu. and His Royal Highness Ez< John Oge. At Umuagara-Izhia. they arc: Umuagara-Izh ia Workers Cooperarive Society. His Ro)'a1 Highness

118

Eze Chibueze Agbo, Mr Patrick Odeh , an d Honorables Fidelis Ogbch and Patrick Onwe. All the commun it ies are ready ro source for the cassava processing plant through acquiring a loan to buy one. All (he communities were ready to build a processing plant. This was to begi n at Effium within six monchs. at Okposhi-Eheku in three months after apprO\'al, and at Umuagara shortly after approval and selectio n .

Plant ownership preferences. There were differences in the ownership preferences declared in each of the communities visited . At Effium, the group of investors would own and the Eze in Council would make the processing plant and the arrangements. At Okposhi-Eheku, the community preferred ownership ro be arranged by {he Eu in Council, but at Umuagaralzhia, the ownership and arrangemenr would be by th e [Own union .

Availability ofbmd and other supporting infrastmctllr... Large (cont iguow) farmland to be used for caSS:lVa production was available in all [he communities visited and all the members of the co mmunity have access to land fo r building and for housing the cassava processing plant. Electricity was availabl e aÂŁ Ellium and Okposhi-Eheku, but the hightension wire passing through Umuagara~lzhia has not been stepped down. Also, there was no access road at Umuagara-lz.hia, the road to Okpshi-Eheku was under construction, and a bridge was required on the road leading [Q [he proposed site at Effium. There were no communicat ion facilities at Okposhi-Eheku. bue a postal agency operates within the dan " Ngbo . GSM services and post offices were ava il able aÂŁ Elli um and Umuagara-Izhia. Only private srores were ava ilable ill all th e communiries visited and the main means of transport:uion were vehicles, motorcycles. a nd bicycles.

Managing cassava wastes. T he people of all the three communities visited were aware of the environmental problems associated with cassava processing. At Effium. the sludge from cassava processing was cha n neled into pits. At Okposhi.Eheku. the cassava waste was scraped <ll1d thrown away, and at Umuaga ra.lzhia , cassava processing took place outside the town and chan nel s were dug for the waste to drain into.

Ebonyi central senatorial zone Cassilva commodity selected for SME. Gari and fufit were the most common cassava prod ucts processed in Ebonyi Cent ral se na ror ial zo ne. In addition to these. tapioca and starch were processed at Eka-Awoke and tap ioca was processed at Ekapomaka. In alt the commun it ies visited, gar; was the cassava prod uct selecred fo r SM E.

Community knowledge of equipment /abnOcatorso All the communities were aware of the equipment needed for the selected cassava produCl but had no idea where they could get them.

Availability of cassava roots and production costs The respect ive communiti es offered ro supply the cassava roOtS needed by SME aU year round. The cost of prod uction of cassava was cheapest at Noyo (N8.35/kg) compared to N9.441kg at Eka-Awoke and N8.69/kg ar Ekpaomaka. In co ntrast, wage rates were higher

119

Table 3. The costs of gari processing in Ebonyi Central senatorial zone.

Cost/kg PeeliHg <l nJ. washing Grinding and pressing Dry'i ng and frying T oral COS( (N/kg) Wage ra le for m en (Nida y) Peeling and washing Drying and frying Wage ra le for wom en (Niday) Peel ing :md washing Drying and frying Wage rale for ya u(hs (Niday) Peeling and washing Drying and fryi ng Cost of one plot of land (50 x 100 fl)

Eka-Awoke (N)

Ekpaomab (N)

Noya (N)

2.2S/kg 4.09/kg 3. I O/kg 9.44/kg

1.9S/kg 3.09/kg 3.7S/kg 8.6 9/kg

2/kg 2.85/kg 3.50/kg 8.3 S/ kg

300 180

250 150

350 210

260 I SO

250 120

300 180

200

200 120 150000

250 150 50000

120

SO000

for all g~nder categories at Noyo. suggeS[in g rhar Jabor took a higher share of production costs Ihan olher faclo rs of prod uction (Ta ble 3). Even so, a plo t ofland (50 x 100 ft) costs on ly N50 000 in Eka-Awoke and Noya, but N 150000 at Ekpaa maka.

Sale o/cassava and cassava products. At: Eka-Awo kc , individuallraders pUlchased cassava products from Okpoilumo-lkwa, Abaa mege , Am.gu-Item, Abakaliki, and Amudo-lzza. At l:.kpao rn aka. th r: main dienrs of (he cassava processors were retailers from Abaka liki, Afikp' I , and Onueke in Izza LGA . At N oyo, the buyers were mainly from Echara , lu i, an d Abakali ki. AU these transactio ns rook place at sched uled fo ur-day markets. Constraints to ca.$sava processing. T he major consrrai m to cassava processin g in all the comm unities visited was the nonava ilahiliry of ap propria te equipment. A part from tha I, fina ncial limitatio ns and poo r access road s were pro blems in Eka-Awo ke and Ekpaomaka. T he cassava processors J [ Ekpamomaka also faced ma rketing problems. Agriculture was practiced man ually in all (h e communit ies visited in (he senatorial zone. T ractors were neither owned nor hirr:d in any of '(he communit ies.

Williugnrss to own casSdva proussing plant. T here were m any fu nctional regi stered associations. coope ratives , N COs. and individ uals will ing to finance cassava processing in [he senatorial zone . At Eka-Awokc, these include Ezeke Young Farmers Association. Euke Young Boys Assacialian, ChiefIgwe Ogalagu, ChiefS.mud Oga do, and Ek.-Awoke Communi ty Developme nt Unio n. Ar Ekpaom.ga, they ate: lfde me nu Ekpaomaka Cooperative

120

Society, Ife le me nu Women Organ izatio n . Ekpaoma ka Development Uni on, Ndicchi Ekpaomaka \x"omen Association , Obinwanne Ndidunma Women Associatio n, LJdoka Women Asso ciacio n. Am aokpom. Chief H ono rabl e Nwcke Anyigo. and Mr Stephen Orogwu. At Noyo, rhey are Omege.>Joyo Dcvelopmenr Un ion , l~yebuike Development Un ion. Chief B.N . Mgbebu. Ho no rabl e Matthew Nwankwogu. Aja ~ehemiah . Barrister Vincent Nwacho, and Joseph Nwa igboji . All the communi ties are ready (0 source for the processing plant through acquiring a loan to buy one. The people of Eka-Awoke were ready to com m ence build ing a cassava processing plam as soon as they were selected. b ut at Ekpaomaga and Noyo. November 2004 ,nd January 2005 were. respecti,路e1y. selected as dates of co mmencemen t for t he project.

Pln"t ownenllip prefn-ences. Co mmun ity owm:rsh ip was preferred at Eka-Awoke where the Devclopm!!nt Un io n wou ld make arre ngemem s. But at Ekpaomaga, the town \Inion wou ld ow n and arra nge (he plant wh ile at Noyo, a co mmunal arrangement was p referred.

Availability of laud mr.d other supporting illjraltrJ4ctures. Enough land was available

in each the selected co mmuni ties ro expand cassava production and all m em bers of the commu niries have access to land. Only Ekpaomaga had e1ecrrici ty and good roads. All th e comm unities, however. have access (0 water supply. There \vere no co mmu nication facilities and storage sirucrures at' Eka-Awo ke and N oyo. At Ekpaomaka, GSM services, a com m llni ry store. and several privau:: sto res were available. T ran sportation was by vehicles. motorcycles . and bicycles.

Managing cassava waste. All (he commun iti es visited claimed to be aware of the environmental effects of cassava processing. Cha nneling the waste liquid iora pits was (he main form of (reatmenr in Eka-Awoke and Ekpaomaga. Bur at Noyo , chem ical treatment was reported alo ng with pilling.

Ebony; South senatorial zone Cassava commodity selected for SME. Gari. filfil. tap ioca. and cassava flo ur were the common cassava prod ucts processed in all th e three local io ns selected in this senato rial zone. In addi tion [0 these. starch was processed in [hie and Ishiagu. The people of Akaeze and Ishi agu selected garj md cassava flour as the ir prod uct fo r SME, bur those of Ih ie preferrt:d gnri.

Comm'"lity kttowledg~ ofequipmmt fabricators, AlI lhe co m muni(ics were aware of the equipment needed ror the ir selected SME product. T hese were an integrated ga r j processing unit for gtlr;, J ha mmer mill , and 3 drye r for cassava Aour, T hey were also aware of the places where these equipm ent could be obta ined. at Akaeze. Abakaliki. Enugu and Oni"ha. At Ihie. Abakaliki. Aba. Onirh,ha. and En ugu were identified while atls hiagu . in add ition to chose town s me ntio ned a t Ih ie, nade fairs or importa tion were also identified as possible so urces of the equipment.

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Table 4. The costs of processing gar; in Ebonyi South senatorial zone.

Cosrlkg Peeling an d washin g Grinding and pressing Drying and fryin g Total coSt (N/kg) Wage rate for men (N /da)') Pcding and w:1.shing Dryi ng and frying Wage rate fo r women (N/da)') Peding and wasll ing Drying and fry ing Wage ra<e for youths (Nid ay) Peeling and washi ng Drying and frying Cost of one plot of land (50 x1 00 ft)

Akaae (N)

Ihie (N )

Ish iagu (N)

L8S/kg 2.90/kg 5.50/kg 1O.2S/kg

L90/kg 2.70/kg 4.70/ kg 9.30/kg

LSO/kg 2.75/kg 4.S0/kg 9.0S/kg

350 400

350 220

300 200

300 375

300 200

300 180

2S0 320 30 000

300 200 50000

250 180 50 000

AvailAbility of cassava roots and production costs. All the com munities pro mised to supply cassava roots locally and we re willing to support th e SME with a consistent supply of cassava roO IS alt yea r roun d. The production cost of gari was cheapest at Ishiagu w here a kil o of gari was produced for N9.05. By comparison, the wage rate for th e various act ivities in the gari process ing cycle and the different genders were lower at Ishiagu than Akaeze an d Ihie, tho ugh a plot of land (50 x 100 ft) COStS N 50 000 at Ishi agu and Ihie, but only N 30 000 at Akaeze (Table 4). Sale o/cassava and cassava products. At Akaeze, individual traders from Abakaliki, On it路 sha. Owt'cri. Cross Rivers, Enugu. U muahia, and Aba were the main diems for cassava products. At Ihie an d Ishiagu, the buyers of cassava prod uct ca me from Aba, Port H arco urt, Awgu, Enugu, Mbano, Mbaisc, and Calaba r. Transact ions we re every schedul ed marke t d ay (four-day interval s in all locatio ns. somet imes eight days at so me markets in Akaeze) ,

Constraints to cassava processing. N o navailabiliry of equi pment, poor access roads, and low profits were the majo r constra ints to cassava processing in all th e locatio ns visited. In addition to these, financial constraints we re a problem at Aka eze and the distan ce [0 the cassava processing site was a great problem for the cassava processors at Ishiagu. In all the locations visited. tracto rs w ere not avai lable for cassava product ion. bur at Ihie and Ishiagu. ther we re used for okro farming.

Wiiiingness to oum C4Jsavl/. processing plant. Po tencial investo rs were identified in each community visi red. At Akane, they were Azuanuka Women Organization, Ubegu, lyiojiAkaeze; His Royal Highness Eze ).0 . Ivi; Ote O ko , Okwu Ezeoke, and Mark Uwa. At lhie, 122

they were Eze in Council, l hic- lshiagu D evelopment Un io n, His Royal H ighness Eze Silas Ossi, and Ih ie You ng Farmers Cooperative Society. At Ishiagu , they were Eze in Cou ncil, Ishiagu Community Development Union, Ugoeze Catheri ne Onu, C hief Uchechukwu S. Nwaoboro, C hief Patrick Aroh, and Ch ief John Elema. All the commu nities were read), to sou rce For th e cassava processing planr through acquiring a loa n to buy one. All the co mmun iti es exp ressed t heir read iness to build the processi ng plant as soo n as approval was given.

PLmt ownership preferences. At Aka eze and Ishiagll, they preferred ownership by the group of investors, bur at lhie, community ownershi p was preferred. Ar Akaeze, [he Eze was to make necessary arrangements while the Eze in Cou ncil would make th e arrangements at lhie and Ishi agu . Availability of la"d and other supporti..g hlJrasrructures. There

W3S eno ugh land for cassava productio n in all the selected co mmunities. But o nly men's groups have access at Akae1.e, while all members of th e community have access at Ihie and Ishiagu. Electriciry was ava ilable in all the co m mu nities visited. but that o f Akaeze was vandalized at the t ime of the survey and it was under repair. Water was ava ilable all year round in all locations. There W 'd S a postal agency at Akaeze a nd post offices at 1hie and Ishiagu. and GS1vl services we re available in aU the co mmun ities visited . There were community-owned fe rtilizer store!'; at Akaeze. bur , he storage fa cilities at Ishiagu and Ihie were pri vately o, ..'ned . T he m ain mean s of tran sportatio n were vehicles. motorcycles, an d bicycles,

Mnl"lging cassava wllste. All the commun ities visited were aware of the environmental problems associa ted with cassa va processi ng. The wane wa ter was dra ined into pits at Akaeze and scoo ped whe n i( was filII . At Ihie and Ishi agu , the waste was channeled out of the processing a rea.

Institutional and political support Institution al and poli ti cal sup port refers (Q (he magnitude and extent of suppon that (he test/selected communities have ob rained from the C'xisten ce. resi dence/establishm ent, and activities of the followin g agencies: fin ancial institutions, equi pment fabricators, govern ment agencie.s, NGOs, and coope rative societies.

Financial institutions/banks

National Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) Ltd is located at 4C. Ogoja Road. Abaka liki in Ebonyi North se natorial zone. The main service rende red to t he com munity/srate was granting loa ns (micro and macrofinancing). The rype ofloall granting/ financi al assistance offered fo r the economic activ ities in t he stare was micm fin anc ing for all traders an d art isa ns an d m acrofinancing for agricul tu ral production and agroaJlied ventures. The procedures fo r acquirin g a loan from the bank was to open an acco um with N500 or more, m ai ntain the accounr for a minimum o f twO mOllths. obtain an application rorm for N250, fi ll the form and (etum, and provide twO gua rantors and

123

pass po rt~ siled photographs. The imeres[ ch~ rged on loans was 8%. The loan sum was paid in bul k, and cred ited into th e clients accou nt after inspectio n and idenrifical io n of project(s) . Repaymem terms for micro fi nancing (agricul tUral ventures) include a [hree~ month grace period and then the loan will be repaid with in a year. T he mai n difficulty in (he procurement of loans was the slow pace of admin is trative protocol involved. Trai ning was provided for the borrower in running the project in the (o rm o f advice. Each project was closely monitored. The bank was wi ll ing ro grant a loan for establish ing a cassava pro路 ccssing plant in a selecred co mmuniC)' in the srate, especially for gari processing. In loan managemt:nt operat ions. lateness in securing approval and perceived stringent conditio ns for the loa n led to loa n default. O ther organiza tions wh ich collaborate with NAC ROB in providing services in this community/state were the M inisrry of Agricu lture, NAFAN. NDE. and NAIC. The bank feel s that a lot of misunderstan ding. mistrust. and fear in delays and den ying the m ajority of the local populace from m issing the benefits . esp ecially (he cooperatives. and apathy, also dete rred people from ven turing inro project(s). (WO

National Agricrtlwrnl, Co operative and Rural Developmo.t B,mk (NA CRDB) Ltd is located at 3, Nkwobc Road, Akaeze Comm unity, Ivo LGA in Ebonyi Sourh senatorial zone. The bank gra nts loans to members o f the community. T he procedure is sim ilar ro that of the Abakal iki Bra nch . But the imerest rate for macro loans is J 6 . 5 ~'c. per annum. T he mai n difficu lties in procurement of loans are the inabil ic,路 to release funds whe n the client actually needs it. Training and monitoring of the invesrmcm is provided by a project inspection officer as well as the agric insurance officer to loan beneficiaries. T he bank is willing to grant loans fo r establis hing a cassava processing plant in selected commu niries in the state especially for cassava fl ou r and gari.

Ngodo Community Bank Ltd is located at 23 Ogoja Road. Abaka liki in Ebonyi N orth senatorial zone. It ofTers all banking services except foreign exchange and lending for rice millin g, commerce. quarrying. and rranspo r(ation. and to civil servams in the commu nity. T he C entral Ban k of Nige ria (CBN) gave inStructions for procedures in acq uiring loa ns from th e bank . The interest rate was 5% mont hly (c uStom aty in terest rate) and the d isbursement period/cycle was in bulk and credited imo (he customer's account. Repay ment was monthly. The main difficulties in procuring loans were poor customer awareness and high intnesr rate. Training and monirorin g the borrower during the execution of the project was done. The bank was w illing to gram a loa n for establishing a cassava processing plant in a selected communi ty in the star e fo r any produc t fo r which m ore than 50% of the raw materials musr come from the farmers farm . They considered gar; processing. T he main constraint experienced in loan management operatio ns was reco vering the loan. The bank collaborates with C BN, N BC B. other com mun ity banks, and the correspo ndent banks. T he bank fin ally notes tha t cl ients for agricultural loans have not shown much interest in enjoying the faci lities of the bank.

124

First Bank of Nigtri4 (FBN) Pic is loca ted at 4, Sudan United Close off Ogoja Road. Abakaliki. It provides all banking services and mo ney transfer (only within Ni geria) . The bank informed the team thal no clients with an agricultural venture had come. The procedures for acquiring a loan \,'as to have an acco unt with the bank, and obtain, fill , and sub mit the standard form for the program. T he interest rate was 20.55% (for commercial ventures). The ma in difficulty in the procurement orloans was that apathy by the farmers had rend ered the packagelope ration nonfunctional. The bank was willing to grant a loan for establishing a cassava processing plane in a selected community in the state For any venture with the best m arkC[ demand and potential for success. Union Bank ofNigm" (UBN) Pie is located at 1, Ogoja Road. Abakaliki. I[ provides all banking services including microfinancing for all traders and artisans and macro financing for agricultural production and agroallied vcnrures. The procedures for acquiring a

loan from the bank was to issue the customers with three copies of Agricultural Credir Guarantee Scheme (ACeS) forms which they filled and submitted . The app lication went through inspection of project(s) and approval. The imer~,S[ rate was 19%. Disburs~m~nt was in bul k. T he bank collem a management fee (2% of [he amoun[ approved prior to disbursemenr) . Repayment terms were as indicated by [he customer in me form. The main difficulty in procurement of loans was skepticism by customers. Training for the borrower in running the pro;ec( was provided to customers and they were referred to the ADP. The bank also monitors the investment. The bank was willing to grant a lo.n for establishing a cassava proc~ssing plant in a selected community in the stare especiaJIy for cassava products that were viable and could be exported. The main constraints experienced in loans management operations were (he high costs of managing logistics ÂŤ(he farmers were few and scattered) and cooperatives did not last as disrinct units (due to weak and dishoneSt leadership). Borrowers also complained of lateness in disburs ing loans and high interest rates. CBN collaborarcs wi th the bank in carrying out its services. Equipment fabricators

Emma Nze Vrnh,res is located a[ 14. Ogoja Road. Abak.liki. The major equipment fabricated were th e grater, press, palm kernelnut cracker and expeller. combination mit!, industrial fryer, local dryer. h ammer mill. and mixer. The equipment in high demand were .he grater and press. The main constrainr associated with the major equipment was shortage

off1nance to purchase the needed equipment. The fabricator provides after sales service (or customers depending on the terms of the businns, otherwise it was paid for on demand. He could service a rorary dryer.

James Chiok. Workshop is located a[ Obi"; Village, Akaeze Community. Iyo LGA in Ebonyi South senatorial lone. The major equipment fabricated were the cassava mash press. engine, and engine parts. The equipment, which was most regularly demanded. was the press. The constraints associated with the major equipment were poor finance, nonavailability of needed equipment. and low level of exposure. The fubricator provides after sales service [0 CUStomers based on demand, but could nor rnajnrain /repair other equipment ruch as rotary dryers due (0 inadequare exposure. 125

Martin Ude Construction i, locared ar Obizi ViUage, Akaeze Community, Ivo LGA in Ebonyi South se natOrial zone. T he majo r equipment fabricated were rhe cassava mash press, engine and its parts. TIle equipment . which was most regularly demanded, was (he cassava press. The constrai nts associated with the major equipment wert' poo r fi nance. n onavail~ ability of needed equipmenr, and low level of exposure. The fabricator provides afrer sales se rvice 10 customers based on demand. bue co uld not m aintainlrep air othe r equipment such as a rocuy dryer due [0 inadequ3rc exposure.

SIMTEX Welding/Collstruction Workshop is locared a, 16, Ogoja Road, Abakaliki. The major equi pment fabricated were the rotary dryer. grater. grater, press scrab , and hydraulic press. The t.'quipment mos tl y demanded were (he cassava grate r and press. The constraints associated with the m ajor equipment were lack o f modern machi nes for precisio n designing (e.g., la the machin e) and electric cutter, as well as inadequate funds for mass productio n of equipment. He provides afrer s31es services (Q custo mers and could mai ntain a rotary dryer amo ng others.

Training insMutions

Th.Internationalinstitme for Rural Development (IIRD) is located in Igbeagu Community, lzzi LGA of Ebonyi Norrh senarorial wne. It rra ins people in alphacropping and molding brick-blocks under its housi ng programftrust and organi zes welding training for communiry members. The consnainls experienced in the naining program(s) rendered were lack of adequate funds to achieve set goals. lack of ince nr ives. and predominance of unenlighrened trai nees, which , lowed the job and expecred performance. Trainees lacked money ÂŁ0 effect treatmenr of tile soil eo practice the knowl edge from lhe training and inadequate t:"xp ertisc to manage their project. The training programs were fina nced from donation s from the Austrian authorities. T he insritution was able to ge r feedback from and monitor the progress of those trained. For agricultural ventures. we used the agronomist while for the pumps and similar activities. they used servicemen to co nrro l!mon itorfrepair as the situation demands. T he insritudon has the capacity to train entrepreneurs on cassava. processing and was willing (Q underrake such trai ning because it ,,'as part of the II RD trusr. The Federal College of Agriculture in Ishiagu Community, Iva LGA ofE bonyi South senatorial zone trains people on bee production techniques. poultry. and cropping of diverse plane produce. The main constraints experienced in the training progra m(s) were srress due to absence of incentives. and predomina nce of unenlightened trainees. which slowed the job and expccled performance, and lack of t ime co nsciousness fo r sch eduled training. T rainees fel t rhar ,he period was tOo ,horr ro allow all rudimenrs of rhe gains to be ful ly realized and fo llow-up and/or monitori ng of progress o r rea l life application of the knowledge was no t usually feasib le due ro logistics and lack of fun ds. The rrai nin g programs were currently fi nan ced from [he meager budget for extension services and/or outreach program of "gownto-town" or "gown-to-field". Feedback was obtained barely via the agricultural extension staff. The institution has the capacity to train entrepreneurs on cassava processing and was willing to underrake such training.

126

Cooperatives and farmers associations/organizations Ameka-Amnjim Cooperative Society, do l-l RH Eze Basil EdeAwoke UP), Ogaba idu II of Effi um is located in Effiu m Community, Ohaukwu LGA ofEbonyi North senatorial zo ne. T he main eco nomic activities engaged in were the production and sales o f rice, cassava, and palm oil. T he problems experien ced in carry ing our these econom ic acrivities were poo r finance. faltering managemem skills , and poor rransponat ion faciliries. The activities were financed through levies, borrowing from family units, ~n J plowing back profir.

The econom ic activity successfully carried out was cassava production an d processing. The cooperative was willing (0 engage in commercial cassava processing for gnri and to obtain a loan. The loan w ill be repaid as per the conditions of the loan ing body and rhe members of lh e cooperative would guaranree the loan. The other organization rhat eng3ged in similar econ omic acti vities in the com munity was the Wigbeke Development U nio n.

APAEC Fanners' CooperativeSodety is locared in Okposhi-Eheku comm unity, Ohaukwu. The. eco nomic activities engaged in were sale of rice, cassava, palm oil, yam, maizc, and animal husbandry.

The problems experienced in carrying out these eco nomic acrivi ties

we re poo r (jn3nc~ , incidence of animal and crop disease. marketing costs, high labo r costs, inadequacy o f fertilizer, nonavailabiliry of machines for processing. and inaccessib ility to improved/high yielding cassava species/cultiva". The activities were financed rhrough individu al co nrributions, levies. and fines. The economic acti vities successfully carried out were: cassava, maire, yam . and oil palm produClion. The cooperative was willing to engage in co mmercial cassava processing for gari and to obtain a Joan for j(. The execUt ive

of the cooperative would guarantee the loan to be repaid insralmentally from .he sale of produce. The other organizations engaged in similar economic activities in the community were Inyimagu Cooperalive Society, Oruokpoye Farmers' Cooperative, and Ndiagu-Ngbo Cooperative .

Euke YoulIgFanners'Association. do Olai rman, Eka-Awokt: Community Developmem Unio n, heke village is locared in Aka-Awoke Community, Ikwo LGA in Ebo nyi Cemral sen atoria l zon e. The economic activitles engaged in were production of cassava, yam , and rice. The prob lems experienced in carrying out these economic activities were in adequate

finance and expensive fertilizer (N2800/50 kg bag). T he groups' activities were fina nced throu gh personal con trib utio ns and k~\' i es. The economic activity successfully carried out

was cassava production. The association was wi)Jing to engage in commercial gari processing and to obrain a lo an for it, LO be repa id acco rding to the terms of rhe loan. T he chairman, Eka-Awoke Community Developmenr Union (ECDU) and rhe tradil io nal ru ler will guarantee the loan. The other o rganizatio n engaged in simi lar economic activities in the commun irywas the Ezeke Young Boy's Association.

Tft'munu Cooptrariv. Sonety, clo ChiefNwakpu Nkweke is located in Ekpeomaka Community, lkwo LGA. The economic activi ties engag~d in we re buildi ng of storage: struct ures; acquisition orland; and productio n of cassava , rice, and swecrpot3m. The mai n problems experienced in carrying out th ese ~co n omic activi ties were poor finan ce. expensive fertilizer, and lack

127

of transportation . T he aCtiviries were fina nced through levies from members. T he eco~ Hamil: activity successfully cnried QUI was rice production . The cooperative was wi lli ng to engage in com mercial gari processing and to ob lain a loan For it. The loan was to be repaid instalmentally~ according to terms of the grant. using the proceeds from p roduce sales. The executive of the association will guaran ree the loan. T he other organizadons engaged in similar economic acrivities in the community are Ife nemenu Women Organization , Ifcneme nu Ekpao maka Cooperatives Soc iety, N diechi Ekpaomaka Women Association, and Obinwanne Ndiodinma Women Association .

Cassava processing factories/outfits/units Bartholomew Okorie's cassava processing plAnt is a small enterprise located at Amagu, Ishiagu. [vo LGA in Ebonyi SOUlh sen.<orial wne. It had thrcc workers and four small equipment in , building (3 x 2 m). It processes 750 kg of peelcd cassava roots per day and made a monthly 'urnover ofNI2 801.65 from an OU'PUl of295.65kg/day. Its capital investment was N76 556.50 and other investment ofN 14300. The factoty's suppl y of cas-

sava roOts had beerf inconsistenr with a capacity of 30 roones/annum. The farmgate price of cassava was N1 1.63/kg and thc fktory gate price was NI4.80/kg of gari. The facrory demands 1000 kg of peeled cassava roots per day and gor this from a distan cc of 0.5- 1. 0 km to lhe factory gate. The critical standards for the cassava rootS and cassava-based prodUCts were freedom from wilt<d appearance. blue-black or darkish streaks on thc Resh of tubers, specklcs. and fiberlcss appearance, Rowabil ity after folding and releasing a handful of a sample, and frcedom from burnt granulc blemishes. The sup ply schedule was daily and sale of cassava products was daily and weekly. The major constraints to processing were: equipment. finance. high cost of spare pans. bad roads, and rransporration.

HRH EzeJ.O. Ivo Cassava Proeusing Unit a, Ubegu. Iyioji, Akaeze. Iva LGA in Ebony; South senatorial wne is a small enterprise Wilh lhree workers and lhree smal l equipment

in a building (4 x 2 m). The quantity of cassava processed per day was 900 kg (peeled) '0 produce 360 kg per day and a momhly turnoyer of NI5 600.50 . Ir had a capi,al inYes,ment ofN85 GOO and other inve<rmen, ofNI2 500. HRH had regular supply of cassava and a capacity of 37.5 tonnes/annum . The farm garc price of cassaya was NII.63/kg and ,hc facrory gatc price of gari was NI4 .80. The quantity offresh cassava roors demanded by the factory was 1350 kg of peeled cassava roots. The source of cassava was between 0.2 and 1.0

km to the factory and the cridcal standards for the cassava roOfS and cassava-b:lSed

producrs were freedom from wilted appearance and from blue-black or darkish streaks on the Resh of ,ubers . Cassava-based p,oducts were chccked for appearance. brightness of color. dryness. fibrousness. and odor. The supply schedule was daily and sale schedule was daily and weekly . The major constraints to processing w~re equipmenr, finance. high cost of space pans. bad roads, and transportation.

128

Onitex Gari Processing Industry (OGPI) is located at Nwakpu, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo LGA in Ebonyi Central senatorial w ne. The enterprise had fou r workers and three small

equipme nt in a building (3 x 2 m) . The quantity of cassava processed per day was 1 025 kg peeled cassava roors to produce 450.50 kglday of gari on a monthly turnover ofN19 500. The capital invescment was N I2S 000 with other investment up to NIO 500. There was consistent supp ly of cassava roots and the factory had a capacity of 45.6 wnnes/annu m,

The farm gate price for cassava was N 11.63/kg and the factory gate price was N 14/kg. The factory demands 1690 kg of peeled cassava per day and got cassava roots from distances up 0.3- 1.2 km to the factory . The critical s tandards for the cassava roars and cassava-based products we re freedom from w ilted appearance and blue-black or darkish streaks

OIl

the

Resh of ru bers. Cassava-based products sho uld be bright in color, dry, fibro us, sharp/so ur in taste, and free fro m lumps in the batch. The cassava sup ply schedule was daily and sale schedu le was da ily and weekly. The major constra ints to cassava process in g were equipment. fina nce, and high cos t of spare parts.

129

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Cost and return (profitability) analysis for selected cassava products Prof/lability analysis on gari produdion at both (arm gate and cottage levels Result s uf profit ability analysis uf gari production as a dominant value-ad J<:d enterprise in Ebo nyi SUtc Jre recorded i.n Tlblc 5. Aboul 5.7 12 to nnes oi gnri (of 18% moisture comem) valued at N217 329.60 was realiu d from process ing 12 tonnes o f cassava foot tuht rs. Th t:

gross margin ofN 13233.60 indicated lha{ va lue was added to the tu bers but the n t l returns of -N 16 282.50 implied that at the farm g"e b路d, the qUl ntiry of gari produced W3S not enou gh [Q break-eve n in the gtlTi t:nte rprise. Table 5. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for gari production (from cassava tubers). SubjeCt/ite m

Out"put

Unjt

Unit price (N)

Value (N)

Revenue

Gn,j"

5712

43.30

Total revenue (TR)

2473 29.60

2ti ? 329.60

13? 560 26160 33456 32520 1500 900

52.94 9.92 12 .69 12 .34 0.57 0 .34 88.80

V<lri:lh l ~ COH~ Ca\~a\l4

IU bers

llcdin{:. ;md wa shi ng Gr:u ing :lnd pressing Frying

12000 12 000 10200

6890

kg kg

Fud, wale r, elc.

Packagin g materials Toral variabk COS lS (TVC) Fixed costs Dc=precialion of proces) ing shed

234 096

P r('s.~l."r

Fryer Comaillen and knr.... c=s Sieves, tripod, anJ spoons Desks T Olal fixed co:m (Tfq Or porrunity I.usr of cJpi cal (10% of (lVC. T FC) T 1;)1:11 C()St S (TC)

Gross margin (TR- TVC) ~e l retum~ (TR- TC) Bendil-<us l ratio (T RiTe) ":\1'oism te CO llu'n l uf g{ln " 1R% Break-('yen (letOr: (..067.60 kg of t"n' or 12765 .% kg 113 :: IlOt 3pplicable

11.63 2. 18 3.28 4.72

c;lW\'Ol

130

tubers

2000 1600 880 565 440 70 5555 23 965. 10

0.76 0.61 0.33 0.21 0.17 0.03 2.11

263612.10 13233.60 - 16282.50 0.94, 1

100

9.0~

na na

Table 6 shows the restlils o( cost a nd benefit analysis (or the colt.ge levd of gar; production . It was observed that wi th the S:lmc amou m of cassava rubcrs.less gar; was produced at mu ch less COst (variab le, fixed. and total) such that it eve ntuall y recorded higher net returns of 1'.'35947.20. It res tliled in rhe cotlage b·d enterprise breakingevon with o nly 8 ~.030/0 of the ou tput. It means that t he local p rocesso rs that m:J.i nly operate at the farm gate level, and hop t:dhss umcd to have mad e g:Jin. may have focused o n the gross margin o nly. T his ci rcumsran cc hJ..S beco me endemic in the rural co mm unit ies becduse of the lack/ ab sence of tht: capacity to carryo ur pro fi tabili ty analysis. Ir implies that a lot of narura! resources/ hum an resources o r m :m -hollfs .....,ere lost everyday at this level of economic endeavor. The essence of th is needs assessmenr slIrvey was to assist in redressin g this situacio n of suffering in ignora nce. ~tnd tran sla le these operations to the cottage level. Table 6. Cost-retum analysis (profitability) for gar; production (cottage level). Subiect/iu:m

O ut put

Uni t

U nit price (N)

Value (N)

5304

43 .30

2 2 ~ 663. 20 229663.20

n' n.

12 000 12000 10 200 6890

kg kg kg

10.47

125604 45 00 4200 6500 1200 600 500 143 IU4

64.84 2.32 2.17 3.36 0.62 0.3 1 0.26 73.87

6000 6000 4000 500 3500 3000 10 000 33 000 17 610.40

3. 10 3.1 0 2.06 0.26 1.81 1.5 5 5. 16 17.04 9.09

1937 14.40 86599.20 35947.20 1.1 9: I

100 na na n.

Revenue

Ga,'" T Olal revcn ue (TR) V;)J'i:lble COstS GI.~sava lll bt'ts ~"

I\'dillg;;a d wash ing G ra\ ing

hying

Fuel W;lIer, elc. I)res~illg aud pac b gins mareri:lls Main,enan,!;: u r proc!;: s,~illg mlc.: Tu r:J variabk (:osts (TVC ) Fixed CUSlS

D epreciatio n p roc es..~ i n !~ shed Prime m nver flye r G r::ner C ontaim::rs, p~d ill g knivc~ , ~tc. Mechan ica l sirta Press Installatiu n cum Tot.,l fixed cow (Tt=C) Opport u nity CO St elf c lpit:ll ( 10%

(TVC.TFC) TOI;\ I com (T O G ross margin (TH.~TV C) Net re lUrm (TR- Te )

Bendll-----<osr rati o O W I·C)

·M o i Mur~ of (frri '" 14% '·111 rC"JII1Y, ,fi\· C01'-lge .... wnt'r l~ n e;uily obtain the price of tub en :I I 10% d iscou nt dlK ro the large qu;tntity purch3)C!d .It dmc/tr,UHl(Linn . Bre ~ k -t: v~n !;ICItH : 44 57. H kguf glfrj 01 10 084 . 0 ,~ kg of c::JSSJV;l nlbers n:l • lIot 31'1'licabic

131

Profitability analysis on flour producUon at both farm gate and cottage levels Table 7 presents the summary of cost and benefic analysis of full-s ta rch unfermcmcd flour at

both farm ga te level and cottage level in [he selet:(ed representa tive co mmuniti es in

Ebonyi State. Here. some 5.46 tonnes of Oour worth N218 ~OO were produced from 12 tonnes of rubers. wh ich amounted ro N139 560. The laner constitutcs 60.98% of total production

COSI.

h led to eventual benefit-cost racio of O . 95 :1 ~ which implies that more

than the output of Oour was requ ired to bteak-even. It indicated thatthe f.tm gate level of producing Rour should be discouraged. On the other hand. the cottage level of cassava Oour enterprise (Table 8) yielded relatively less outpUt while it featured less production costs and an eventual marginal ne t profit of (N)7 165 .60. The profit can be increased if the enterprise is well organized and the raw mate rials purchased at the fa rm gate . Table 7. Cos t-retum analysis (profitability) for full-starch ca s sava flour (unfermented) production (from cassava tubers). Su bj(ct/item

O utpu t

Unit

Unit price (N)

Value (N)

0/0

Reve nue Cassava flourT 0131 revenue (TR)

5460

218400 218400

NA NA

11.63

139 560 26160 12 500 10840 5000 WOO 1000 2400 198460

60.98

11 .43 5.43 4.74 2.18 0.44 0.44 1.05 86.72

3500 2500 880 1500 500 700 9580 20804

1.53 1.09 0.38 0.66 0.22 0.3 1 4.19 9.09

228844 19940 -10444 0.95 , I

na na

Variable costs Cassava tubers Peeling and washi ng Chipping Dryi ng Milling Sieving Packaging mate ri als Fuel. water. (( c. Total variable COStS (TVC)

12 000 12 000 10200 lO 200 5460 5460

kg kg kg kg kg

Fixed COSts Depreciatio n of proces.sin g shed Chipper Dryer Miller Conrainers and knives Mechanical sifter T olal fixed costs (TFC) Opportunity COSt of capi tal (J 0 0/0 of (TVC+TFC) To tal com (TC) G ross margin (TR-TVC) Net ret urns (TR-T e) Benefi t-<ost rario (TRffC) 'Moisture (oment of UlSS:tV-.1 ... Br~ak ' ( Âˇf el1 faeror: 5 747. 37 kg na. â&#x20AC;˘ not ~ p pli uble.

15.5%

or cassava lIour or 1263 1.>8 kg of caS5an

132

IU~rs

100

Tabl e 8. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for full-starch cassava flour (unfennented) production (cottag e leve l).

Subject/ item Rl"vcnut.· Cassava flo ur" Total reven ue (fR) Variable cas rs Cassava lubers-'

Peeling and washing Chipping Dl)'ing Milling Sie\'ing Pack~gjng

and bags

Output

Unit

U nir price (N)

Value (1'1)

5330

41. 50

2 13200 2 13200

n, n, n,

12000 12000 10 200 10200 5330 5330 5330

kg kg kg kg

10.47

125604 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 600 I 000 500 140204

kg kg

Fuel, water, etc. Mai ntenance of processing mJc T o[al variable cosrs (TVe)

60.96 1.70 1.46 1.21 0.97 0 .73 0.29 0.49 0.24 68.05

Fixed costs D qJ redation of processi ng shed

6000 6000 6000 7500 7000 4000 10 000

Prime mover (Sift'c r) Motori'Zed chipping m/c Drying plant Milli ng mic (Hammer mill) Sealing m/c Install ation costs COl1rainers, ped ing knives, e(c.

GOO 47 100 18730.40

Total fixed com (TFC) Opportunity cost of capital ( 10%

of (lVC+TFC) T o<al com (TC) Gross margin (TR-lVC) Ncr returns (TR-T C) Benefi t- con rati o CfR- TC) "M oisture content for c:m3'1:1.

2.9 1 2.91 2.91 3.64 3.40 1.94 4.85 0.29 22.86 9.09

206034.40

100

72996

fl'

7 165.60 1.03:1

n. n,

13.>%

•• In real ity . rhe cu t esc: own~r can e.uily obt:ain (he pri(( of ruben; ;11 10% discou nt due to the large quantity putdl:lscd 21 a rimr/ rr;ms;!.ction. BreOlk·even f.l cror; 5154.74 kg of cass:l,va nom or 11 605.42 kg of caSS2va rubers n3 '" nor appl:a hle.

133

Prioritized sites and products in Ebonyi Stale The sire location for a plant/indusuy takes a loe into account, such as abundant source of raw material . enough space for construction and for expansion. and infrasuucrural facili-

ties. Table 9 shows factors adopted as criteria for prioritizing the communities. From the 12-roint forma< devdoped and adopted, it was observed that the highest score in Ikwo LGA (Ebonyi umral senatorial wne) was 56YzO/O (Ekpaomaka), in O hau kwu LGA (Ebonyi Nonh senatorial zone) 61 WY. (Okposhi-Eheku), while in Iva LGA (Ebonyi South 'enarorial wne) it was 79% (Ishiagu). Final remarks and recommendations Ebonyi State citizens are ha rdworking people and resolUte to produce more food but informarionlawareness. finance, and rech nicalil}' have limited their potentials. It was first recommended that the integmed multiproduct plant be , ited in Ebonyi State because of their primary and imponanr place in cassava and cassava-product trade. SecondJy. since the comparative app raisal (Table 9) showed that the highest overall scorewa, earned by Ishiagu (79%), it recommended this , hould be considered and approved for the cassava SME.

134

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Edo State

Introduction One major WCly of arresting the envisaged gl ut in cassava prod uction was to accelerate a postharvest diversific:ltio n program that emails the processin g of cassava raw m bers into several foods, ind ustri al intermediates. and final products oflo ng shelf-life. a nd expans io n ofloCJ I and expo rt markets for cassava products . It h as been established th at Cclssava qm be used co produce over 30 produces apare from che cradi,ional foods-gIlYi,fiifU, tapi oca, ~kfl. and uri (starch) produces. These include alcoho l, glucose. maicose, dextrin , ca ramels, (several ), adhesives, modified starches, feeds, flour, chips, acecic acid, so rbi to l, ecc. Bur rhe

technology was srili low and in most cases underdeveloped to reali ze these goals. hence the involvement a fIlTA to imp rove on the [ech nology and widen product de mand with in and outs ide rhe Nigerian m arket. As pa n of in itiatives [0 acco mplish the abo ve objective, I1TA spo nso red a Postharvest Needs Assessm ent Survey' in Edo State. This survey was designed. [0 capture nine representativ e communities in Edo Stale with the objective of settin g up viable small and medium ClSSJVa processi ng plan ts. The position of Edo State and its strategic proximi ty to numerous commerc ial/ mega ciries such as Lagos, Ibada n, Onicsha, Warri, Pa rr Harco ure , Aba, Ab uja, Aku re, ecc. wi ll furr her render chis program uniquely relevant co the projecr design . The curren t position an d the export drive of the Federal Government on cassava products also make .he proposed p rojects in Edo State ausp icious.

Description of Edo State T he stal e lies wi chin lon gi,udes 5"00' E and 6' 40' E an d laticudes 5"00 ' N and 7'40' N. Ir is surro und ed by Dd t;} an d Bayd sa states, in th e East by River Ni ger. and Anam bra Slate. in the north an d northe.SI by Kogi Sm e, and in ,he west by Ondo State. The total land area is abour 19 035 square kilome,ers wi ch a p opula tio n of abouc 2 500 000. The stale is made up or 18 loed governm en t areas wi th Benin C it)' as th t" Slate capi ta l. The vegetation mnges fro m ra inforest in the south-southe rn Guint:a sa\路~.mna in th e norrh and h as 3. rmp icnl dim Jre Ch ~H.lcr(' rizt;:d by one r:liny seaso n between Apri l and O ctober and one dry season b~:;{ing from N ove m ber to M3rch. It has a mean an nual rai nfall r:lnging (rom abo ul 1300 ll1 m :'Iroun d .fI.l: chi Ln Edo No rth to abo ut 2300 mm in Ogba. Benin C ity in EJo Som h. It); t ~ mpc ra{\J rc is characteristic of a Lrop ic31 c1im:l le wit h m C:ln daily temperature! of aoou l 26 .7 路路C. The average difference between th e maximum and m inimum tempc:ra rurc is 3bour 8 "e (! 1 "e in the dry season and G "C in rh e rainy seaso n). Night tem peratures .Ire fairly lIniro rm being abour I 1 "C cooler [han [he more moderate ra iny day t e m pefllUrc:.~ . Tht.: stat e's rdarive humidity is fairly high especially during MarchNovembt' r. Even in the dry seJso n the mea n dail y relative humidity is arou nd 70% with a mi nimu m of abo ut 60 % in the eveni ng but with a maximum around 80% in rhe morning. Du ring the rainy seaso n , the mean daily relative humidity is abo ut 86% with a minimum which is ra rely below 80% and max imum which is so metim es d ose to 100% .

139

Research approach Selection of participating communities The selenion was hased on three senatorial wnes from where o ne local gove rnmen t with the h ighest cassava concentration level was chosen per zone. The team visircJ three commun ities per local government area. The choice of the communities visited was based on the areas of hi ghest co ncc mrar io n of cassava productio n. The team therefo re co nsidered an d rel ied un rh e differen ces in the production and projecr viabi li ry potentials of these communit ies (T able 1) . Table 1. LGAs and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Edo State. Se naw ria l l one

Communi ry

Edo South

LGA Uhunm\\!ode

Edo Cemral

Esan West

Igueben Ogwa Ujogba

Edo North

Owa n EaSt

Ebese-Ivbia ro Ubeluke Ihevhe

Ogueka Eguaholo r Ugonobl

Data collection method A team of four scientists constiruted by IITA made up of two poslharves[ specialist, one eco nomist, and one agricul tu ral engineer carried out this ass ignm en t. Rapid rural appraisal (RRA) \vas used 10 gene rate information at tile farme r level. Majo r siakehoiders in cassava production , processing, an d end 路users we re visited, interviewed . and information ca ptured usin g a checklist designed by IlTA. T hose interviewed. fa rmers groups. co mmuni拢), leaders. cooperative societ ies. processors. NGOs, financial inst itu tio ns. fab ricators, etc" responded positively 1'0 tht: questions.

140

Main findings Community level needs assessment Edo South sena/or;al zone Cassava commodity s~lected for SME. The major cassava produces processed in Edo South scn3m riai zone are gar;, coo ked cassava roDts.fiifill and wee starch. The peo ple of Eguaholor also process fresh cassava roo ts inro tapioca. The product selected for SME in Oguea and Eguaholor was starch wh ich they opined has a ready marker, is easy (0 integrate , and re<Juircs low.inpur rcchn ology. The people oFUgo noba seleered cassava flour For SME for th ese same reasons.

Community knowledge of equipment fabricators. All the communities visited "iere :1ware of the machinery required for the selected products. These incl ude: grater/rasper. we r mi ller (ham mer mill). pulp mixer w irh ra nks. exrracto r. ccnrriFuge o r serrling floor! ra nks. dewatering press, Rash dryer. buffe r tank, pulverizer. sifter. and bagging machi ne. Howe~er . they could nor idenriFy any Fabricaror in rhe sena reri al zo ne thar could supply these equi pment. Availability 0/cassava roots and production costs. Cassava was the main cro p grown in all the co mmun ities visi ted in this se natorial zone. Each commu nity in tends to be able to meet the supply of fresh cassava roots to make 2 [Cnnes of dried sta rch o r Ro ur as the case Tab)e 2. The costs of processing starch/flour in Edo South senatorial zone. Ogueka(N)

Ugonoba (N)

Eguaholor (N)

Starch

Flour

Slarch

T wo ton l)(S dry sta rch o r lUore

Abou t 2

Production coS( of sdc=c , ~J prod uct

60 OOO/r

4200011

GO 0001 .

r roduction cost elemC=nls Tuber purchase Man/day co.st

600-10000/. 450

7000- 120001. 450 (men) 300(women) 1800-27000

8000 450 (men)

S elect~d

product

Prod uctiOl\ capacity

d~s jred

Uprl)(Hing Peeling Gming

1800- 27000 IOO/basin 20/basin

P ~(ssi ng

20!b:uin

Frying

300/b,,; n (30 kg)

.se!lil~ g

pri ct:/hasill (30.33 kg)

(o nn ~s

Use house help

20/bu in 20/bu in 300/b",;n (30 kg of gllrl) 1200/basin garj 5012 kg su rch

2)O/ hasin

Abou l 21t

300(womcn)

1800-27000 JOO/bas in 20/basin 20lbasi n

1lO0-1400/basin of gari 20lkgfofu b,lI Starch ", 5012 kg wet

Uni tcml ofplUl (SO .100 Ii )

500001plo.

25000/plot

14 1

30000iplo.

rna)' be. The es tim ated productio n COSts for stHch we re: [he same at Oglleka and Egllaholor

(1'<60 OOO/lOnne) and N42 000 was estimated Cor cassava no ur at Ugo noba . These estim ates incl ude the cosrs of cassava ro ots and labor for the various acti viti ~s in the: proce:ssing line:

(T able 2). The wage rate for men an d w o me n differs in U gon o ba and Eguaho lo r, bur was s imilar

for borh genders at O gue ka. Bur where the race Cor rhe acriviry was charged by task and not based on gender. similar am oums were paid for the task performed . Land was chea pest at

O gueka where a plot (50 . 100 ft) cosrs N25 000. compared to N 50 000 at Ugonoba. and N 30 000 at Eguah olor (Table 2). Sale of cassava and cassava products. Cassava products were so ld mainly in the local fo ur-day scheduled ma rke ts in all the co mmuni ties visited in the senatorial zone. COlJStraillts to cassava processing. T he major constra inrs [Q cassava process ing in (he com 路 mu nities vjsjlt~d were finance problems, nonavailability of equipment, and low profit levels because buyers determine the price of cassava products . In addition to these, E.gllaholor community com plained of bad access roads to the fa rms as a key co ns train t to cassava processing in their community. Thete we re no tractors in any o f the three selected com muniti es.

Willingn.ess to own cassava processing plAnt. Of the three communities visited. o nly Ogueka had a fun ctional NCO (YOCASA) that was willing to finance tractorization and cassava processin g. All the communi ties were , howe ver, ready to acquire a loa n for purchas-

ing a ptocessing plant. While the people of Ogueka al ready have a bu ilding to house the processin g plant', at Ugonoba. the people expressed some fears on raising mo ney for the

factory. T he peo pl. ofEguaholor will. however. be ready in three months. Plant ownership preferences. Com muniry ownership was preferred at Ugo noba :l nd Eguaholor. But Ugueka preferred the NCO (VOCASA) as the owner of the processing plant.

Availability o/lAnd and otl"r supportillg infrastructures. All th e communities visi ted assured the tealn (har enough land was a.... ail able in rheir communities for establishing cassava farms co nt iguous to th e processing plant. Whi le a facrory was already buil t a[ Ogueka . the Ugonoba and Eguaholor co mmuniti es assured the ream rhat land was

available for the building to house the processing plane. Only Ugueka has electricity ou[ of the three co mmunities visited . W ate r su pply by bo rehole was available at Ugueke and

Eguaholor. bur a stream abo ut I km away services Ugonoba. The ro ad ar O gueka and Ugono ba was tarred. bu[ the road to Eguaholor was defaced. though mmorable. T he main means of transpo rtation in all th e comm unities visited were veh icles and motorcycles. Communication by GS M was available in all [he communities and hom estead storage: structures we re commo n features.

Managing cassava waste. Cassava waste was ch anneled into soakaway pits in all the selected communi ties, bur in Ogueka community, dump in g sires were also used to dispose: of cassava peel s.

142

Edo central senatorial zone Cassa va commodity selectedfin路 SME. The major cassava products processed in Edo CenHal senator ial z.o ne were' gari. cooked cassava roots,fiifu. ,ka, and wet srarch. The product selected for SME in all the commu nilies yisi led was cassava Ao ur.

Community knowledge of equipment fabriCillors. All rhe commun icies visited were aware of th e m achinery requ ired for the selected products. These incl ude : grater/rasper.

\vet miller (hammer mill), pulp mixer with tanks, ex traCtor, centrifuge or setding Aoorl tanks, dewateri ng press, flash dryer._buffer ta nk, pulve rizer, sifter, and bagging machine. However, they could not identify any fa bricator in the senatorial zone that could supply these equipment .

Availabiliry of cassava roots and production costs Cassava was the main crop grown in all the commu nities visited in this senato rial rone. Each community intends to meet the supply of fresh cassava roots from its own production. The estimated production COStS for cassava flour and the selling price of gaT; in all the selected comm uni,ies were ,he same (Table 3). T he coS! of land was howeverN50 000 a' Ujogba and Igb ue ben and N25 000 at Ogua. Table 3. The costs of processing cassava flour in Edo central senatorial zone.

Ogua (N)

Ujogba (N)

Igueben (N)

42 0001t

420001t

4 2000/,

6000-S000/, 450 men 300 wome n 1800-27000 30/bag

5000-N7000/r 400 men 2000/, 800 peel/wasTe

Grating Pressing

7000-12 0001t 450 men 300 wo men I SOO-27000 I ~O/ basin Ca 80001t 3Dlbag 90011 V2I

SO/basin

r-rying

300/b3sin

300/basin (30 kg)

3 00/basin (i nclude wood)

Sellin g pricelbasin (30.33 kg)

1200-1500/

) 200/basin

1200/basin

50 ODD/plot

50000/plo t

Prod uction

COSf

of selected produc(

ProduCi ion COst elements Tuber purchase Man / day cost Up rooting Peel ing

300 women

Pick-up

IOnne (gflr1)

50/2 kg Starch

20/kg wet Uni t cost of plo, (50

JOO ft)

25000/plo,

143

SDk of cassavil alld ~aJSava prDducJJ. Cassava prod ucts were sold main ly in the local four. day scheduled markets in all the commun ities visited in {he senatorial zone. ConstraintJ to cassilva processirlg. T he majo r co nscra ims to cassava process in g in the co m munit ies visited were finance, nonava ilabi lity of equipment, and low profit levels because buyers determ ine the pri ce of cassava produ cts. T ractors were not avai lable in any of t he co mmun ities visited. WiUingn~ss

to own cnssaVQ processing plant. All the commu nities were, h owever, read y O gua and Igueben comm uni-

to obtain a loan to acquire a cassava processing plane. The

ties we re read y to complete th e building fo r the processing plant in t hree m ont hs, but at Uj ogba. they promised withi n four m onrhs and n oted thO[ their m ay be some p roblem s in raising mo ney for the facw ry. The iIltsu group savi ngs we re co mmo n p racti ces in all the com mun ities visited as poten tial so urces of funds for acqui ring the processing plant. In addi tion to that, there was a co mmunity bank a t Iguc ben tha t co uld be a great opport un ity fo r ra isi ng funds to start the project. 19uebe n co m muniry also has an NGO (Madojenu Foundation ) that provides hea hh care services in the com munity.

Plant ownership preferences. C ommuni ty ownership was pre ferred in all the loca rions visited. The involvement of {he com mun ity develop me nt associat io n was also apprecia ted at Ogua.

Availability oJlflnd and oU"'" mpporting infrastructures. Adequa te b nd was ava ilable for farming and the construction of the processing center in all the comm un ities visited . All the co mm un it ies also have eicctriciry, good roads, h omestead storage, and GSM faci lities. But water sup ply was via borehole at Ujogba and 19uebe n wh ile it was by ra in and stream at Ogua. T he co mm on mea ns o f transporta tion were vehi cles and m ororcycles. T he rai lway line was also ava ilable.

Ma nnging(,IIssavll wllste. Cassava waste was chan neled into soakaway pits in all the sdecred commu nit ies.

Edo North senatorial zone Cassava commodity selecteli for SMl:.: Tht: cassava prod ucts procl:ssed in this senato rial zone we re lafon , JuJu, gill'i, and rapioca . All (he communities selected C'J.SS.IV;l flou r as [he prod uCt op tio n for SME.

Community knowledge of equipment fnbJ 路icators. Al l [he communities visi ted were awa re of the- m ac hinery requi red for t he selected products. T hese include: grater/rasper, wet mill er (hammer m ill). pulp mixer with ranks. extractor. centrifuge o r settli ng /loorl ta nks. dewate ring press. /lash dryer. buffer tank. pulverizer. sifte r. and bagging mach ine. H owever. they co uld not identiJY any fa bricaror in the senato ri al zon e that could supply these equipme nt.

144

Availability o/cassava "oots arul production costs. EJch com l1l11 niry promised

to meet up lhe supply of fresh cassava roOlS from its own production. T he est imated production costs or Oo ur in all the co mmun ities selected were N42 000 (Table 4). Also, the sel ling price gar; was the same at Ihevbe and Ubuleke (N l l00- 1500/basin). but Nl200/ basin at Ivbiaro Ebese. The cost of a plot of land (50 x 100 ft) was th e same in all the selected communiries,

Sale ofcassava and cassalla products. Cassava produces were sold mainly in the local four~ day scheduled marketS in Ihevbe and Ubulele Ivbiu o, but dail y at Ivbiaro Ebese. Corutraints to cllssava processing. T he major consrrainrs to cassava processing In the co mmunities visited were finance problems. no nava ilabili ry of equip me nt, an d low profit levels because buyers determ ine the price of cassava products. Trac to rs were not available in any o ther co mmunities visited. Willingness to own cassaVIl processing pima!. All the communities vis ited were will ing with a productio n capacity of about 2 to nnes. There is.

to own a cassava processing plant

however. no functional NGO or cooperative association willing fO finance the acquisition of a tra cto r or processi ng plant. All the commu nities were wi lling to obtain a loan for establishing a cassava processing p lant within three months. Table 4. The costs of processing cassava flour in Edo South senatorial zone.

I \'b i ~ro

Ivbi;\l O E bc~

Iht'dlt

Uhuleke

N 4 2000/to ll

N42000/1

N 42COOh

• Tube r pu rcha5t

NlitXiO-NROOOh

N6000 - NI OOO/ I

:--l 6000 - N I UOo!t

• ~~t1 / d :\r Ctl ~l • v l'-wori ug

N4 50 m cll N 130 0-N 2? OOOh

N 4S0 I':lgUO- N27 000lr

:--l4;O

• h l-lil:£.

N @ Oi l

abou t NGOO/:

:'\' 6Q1}-7 001!

• t rollinG

N 2 (}lIbJ ~in

N20!lb15in

I" t'~\ il:&

C l r-: SOO/r

c.. N 5()Of t

N1OO jb..~ i n

N60- IOO/ ha5in

Pm Ju o.:f :UII C<ISI o r s ~ : n' l c J erud lici

Productio ll e m c1C'll1ems

•

• Frying

~ 1 800- N2700 0/ {

N80fl basin I WO IIUIl

4-5basills

• Selling pricdbasin (30.33 kg)

N 1200!(30kg.)basin

N J 1OO/ f' I SOO/ba:.in

NI IOO/ 1500fbas.in

• L ni I COSt of plot (50rl )( 100 ft )

N25000

N2 5000

N25 00n

145

Pima ownership pre/ere7lC'es. The preferred O\\'ncrship option was the communi!:}' in all the com mu ni ties vis iu:,d in th e senato rial zone.

Avaiu.bility oflmld and other mpporti1lg ;"frastntctures. Land was ava ila ble for Fanning an d buildi ng the proposed c.<sava processing pla nt in all th e communities selected . Al l of them had e1ecrr icity. tarred road s. and stream water. T he Isuru groups were a potcnrial source of fin ance in (he communities visired . The main means of tran spo rtati o n ill the senatorial :lone were motorcycles a nd vehicles. Comm uniGu io n by GSM was also ;avai lable in all th e co mmuniti es.

Managing cassava waJte. Cassava waste \vas channeled into soakaway pi ts

III

aJl th e

selected communities.

Institutional and political support Seq ue! [t) rhe ~uccessru l emergence of rhe prese nt d emocratic government in 1999, the Edo State G overnment swiftly engaged some pragmatic eco nomic reforms ro reduce th e poverty li ne , pegged at 12% of the population by the World Bank. An importatlt segment of the government pol icy aimed at poverty reduction to improve (he li ving condidons of the inhabitants especially the rural pop ulace. The Edo State government has la unch ed several agricultural and poverty alleviatio n prog rams such as the provision a nd massive distribution of fert ilize rs, and improved cassava cunings. promotion of yarn min isetre program thro ugh th e AD P ext ension activi ties, and es tab lis hment of four m odel farms all fo r cassava pro# d ucrion . Edo State Government was establishing a cassav itJ. factory a t Uromi . which was ncar complelion, and n u merous Cassava plantations through [he special program for food securi ty all to raise [he eco no mi c level of [he rutd i farmers engaged in cassava production , process ing. urili7..arion, and markeling. Followi ng the establishment of the Ed o State Macrocredit Scheme by the Edo State Governm t nt hund reds o f farmers have been reached w ith cfedil faci lilies. Also , the pres路 en ce of the Edo Sme Agricultural Development Program (ADr) was a direct boost to these proposed projects parti cul arly wi th rega rds to trainin g/m anpower develo pment an d ren derin g of exte nsion !lervices at little or no cosr to (he operators of rhe projects. Beside having a regional o nicc of the Ccmral Bank. Edo State has num erous commercial banks and cred its ins ritutio ns, no t o nl y in Ben in, bllt in all the 18 LGAs. Whi le this survey was ongo in g, the (eam n:ceived good n e\'\t S thar tlH:se ban ks have sta rred respo nd in g to rhl! Federal Government appea l on interes t rate redu ction especially fo r agr icultural production and deyelop ment. C UrfI.>ndy, the im erest rare ha s been reduced from 21 to 19% and more redu ctio n wa s ex peclt:d hefore the end o f 2004 as assumed by th e Pres idem . \Y./e strongly believe that th is wi ll strengthen th e fin an cial capacity of these projectS. Finall y, Edo State (particularly Benin C ity) has a age-lon g record of rural blacksmi thi ng, w hich has now t ran slared into modern f~bri ca ( i on and found))'.

146

Fabricators

De Iyawe Enterprises, managed by Rev G.T. Eribo is loca ted at II Midwest Street, Benin. The company fabricates cassava graters, press, and starch extractor widl pu lp mixer, gar; fryers , palm oil processing machine, and palm kernel cracker separator and corn sheller. The constraints 3ssociared \'lith the equipment were low patronage, high cost of working material (me(als), scarci ty of stainless steel , and irregu lar power suppl y. D e Iyawe provides after sa les serv ices such as installatio ns , mainren ance. and repa ir of equipmenr. Ie can repair rotary and flash dryers. Nta TI!clmical works is managed by Mr N t. and located at No. 20, Zabayo Street, off Plymouth road, Benin City. The major equipment fabricated were CaSS3\'a grate rs, chipping machine. tra y fryer for gari, bakery ove n, oil palm presse r/digester , multipurpose grinder (plate mill ) and k neader an d mach ine moto rized sifte r. The constraints associated with the eq u ipment were low patronage, lnd the high cost of sheet metals and other \,",orking materj,lis. It provides: after sales services but cannot repair a rotary dryer.

Blessed Silver is located at 156 Upper Mission, off New Benin, Benin. The major equipment fa bricated were cassava graters, chipping machine, rotary dryer, air oven dryer, multip urpose grinder (plate mill), starch ex tractor , mdon sheller, and cassava flour processi ng pl,nt, vegeta ble o il extractor pla nt, sp ray drying pla nts , polyethylene bag sealing of cutting plants, rice processing plants, animal feed plam. motorized sifter, and hammer mill. The constraints associa ted w ith the equipment fClbrica teu were low patronage, scarcity of sheet metal and other working marerials, and epileptic pO\'v'er supply all of which increases production cos ts. It provides after sales services and can repair other equipment. Alesan/aye Nig Lid is managed by Engr. G.A. Bad mus and lo cated at 6 Onaiwu Street, off Uwelu Road, Behind Old Spare Pan, Benin. The major equipment i( fabricates wert oil palm processi ng plant, fruit ju ice processing pl <l nl, palm kernel oil expeller, and palm kernel cracker. T he constraints :1ssoci::ned with the equ ipme nt we re low patronage and incessant power cuts. It provides after sales services and has qualified p rofessional staff that can repai r and maintain orher eq uipment.

Bro-Dike Industrial Company (Nig) is located at 3 Siluko Road, Ben in. It fabricates the cassava grater, p ress, gflri sifter, s,tw mi ll plant, and oven dryer. FOMA Engineering WOdiS is located at St Saviour Road, offlipper Sakponba Road, Benin. T he major equipment f"':tbricatcd was th e hydrau lic press and cassava processing equipment. The major con straint associ:ued with the fahri ca tion of these equipment was the high cost of working material s. FOMA prov ides after sales services but does not have the capacity to repair a rotary d ryer. Eghosa Engilteering Works, o pp Sa,"na Market, S,pele Road , Benin f,bricates the hydraulic press and cassava processing eq uipment. Irs main constraint was unsteady electricity supply and high cost of working materials. Ie provides after sales services but cannot repair a rotary dryer. 147

Agricul1ural training institutions

Edo State A!i"icultural Development Program (ADP) is loca ted ar Oko Road, Ben in. It has field officers reaching virtua lly all commu nities in the scate. h provides agriculrurerel ated tra ining to all categories of fa rmers, agroprocc:sso rs. and rural Jwdlers in th e state. The Edo State Government financed irs activities. It has no co nstraints in carryin g our its duties. It regu larly monirors the p rogress of peo ple .rained and has [he capaciÂŁ)' [Q and was willi ng to train cliems on cassava processing.

Vocational Center for Agricultural Skills Acquisition (VOOlSA) is an NGO with irs headquaners at 10 Ogbegie Street, Benin . It provides rraining in managem ent, cul tivation, storage, and process in g of cassava, oi l palm. pineapple, rubber, and veget:J.bles. lr also handles. pigs. po uil ry, fis hery, apicuilure. rahbits. ruminants, and mixed farming. It has no co nstraints and fina nces it activities r!trough IOlI15. internaUy g~nera[ed funds. donations, and charges. VOCASA mo nitors th e progress of the people trainee! an d has th e capacity and wi llingness to (fain people on cassava processing, In addition to th ese two, which have a well developed trainin g progra m, facilities and syllabuses for cassava, there were the normal aca demic agricultu ral training insri [U[i ons in the state viz: University of Benin; Ambrose Ali UniversiryJ Ekpoma; Benson Idahosa University. Benin City; Igbined io n U nivers ity, O kada ; and the School of Agricu lture, Iguoriakhi.

Demond for cassava products In all the communities assessed, j( was d iscovered [hat large quanlir ies of cassava products such as gaTi, laftm. fofo, wet sta rch, and tapioca were produced dai ly. Large vol umes of (hes(' prod ucts were evacua ted dai ly fro m these communities by ma rketers (middlemen) to cities such as Lagos, Onitsha. Aba. Abuj a. Porr Harco urr . Kano. Wa rri. etc. This further justifies not onJ y hi gh production and ;J.vailabili ry of cassava tu bers in these communities. but also confirms that th e p roposed projects will be self.sustaining when established and fully functiona l. Marketin g of agro prod uce in Edo State fdvOrs m iddlemen . Two levels of m arketing system were co m mon in the state. 'fhcsc were primary and secondary m:ukets, T he pr imary markets consr l[ ut:: the major o utl et Jor most food crops produced in rh e start: a t rhe village level. T he fo ur -I.hy interval market was predominant and the fa rmers sell their produce as soon :is they were harvest:d from the far ms. T h, secondary markets were fou nd in rhe big villagcshO\\lns where rhe produce from primary markets and those harvesrcd by fe \. . farmers were sold. The activi ti e~ of itinerant marketing agents we re \'cry prominent at this marketing level. T he mi dd le marketers often appoint agen ts at village level w ho assemble produce ahead of ~ hdr bulk collect ion to urban cities both within and outside Edo State, The us~ of pickup va m :md smalJ trucks {lorries} were the common means of tran sporting prod uce and processed products fro m farms and villages/rowns.

The Beudel Feed a lld Flour Mill located at Ewu, Edo State is on e of th e lead in g feed and flour prod u(:crs in the countr)'. Its products were m3rke[f~d all over the country. The company prod uces :minlll feed an d different Aour produc ts from grains (maiz.e, wheat, soyabt!'J n, 148

sorghum. etc.) and root rubers (specifically cassava) for direct (h uman) consumption and for bakin g and confecrionary products. T he company has a production capacity of over 2 ton nes/product/day and this means that over 60 tonnes/product was produced monthly. Althou gh, the company was sensicive (0 marker pricing. h was, however, prepared to uciliz.e cassava produces (particularly cassava chips and Aour) as an alternative raw material base, so long as it had a competitive price advantage. All cassava products acceptable to the company must have starch content of over 700/0. h was gathered that the company has the capacity to absorb ovec 250 rannes of cassava products (as raw material) per month for the production of a specific product,

Juno Food (Nig) Ltd is another major cassava end-user in the state. located at Agbede. [t produces "Tropic Cornflakes". The company was currently devdoping a new prod uct. which has cassava as a major raw material. The marketabiliry and acceptabiliry of this new product have been tested . The product was however awailing NAFDAC cenificalion.

PfIZer Livestock Feed is located in Benin and has a capaciry of over 3 tonne.< per da), per prod uct. The team was informed that cassava products constitute 40% of each final product of the company. The dusty nature of cassava Hour t and the problem of weevil infestation, moldiness. and 'discoloration we te being addtessed by the company in collaboration with lITA. T he company was presently sourcing cassava chips and flour fram Edo. Kogi. and Benue, through registered suppliers. The company received about 10-15 tonnes of cassava product weekly.

D./4 Food Ltd is a food processi ng outfit and a subsidiary ofOe Ladder Establishment. Ltd. [n the past. it produced the following agrabased praducts for local and export markets: From cassava: cassameal (fortifiedfofo) . lafon. andfofo • From yam: instant pounded yam flour, and tiuho • From bean: bean flour for akara and moimoin • From corn: pure cornstarch. cornmeal (flour) and ogi (fermented flour) The company's imporred dryer broke down and its NAFOAC certificate expired. The company reactivated for proper take-off. h will require plenty of cassava tubers and starch for its fofo. cassameal. and edible starch production as soon as NAFDAC renews its certificate. T he company was expected to buy 5 tonnes of dry statch per month in addition to about 200 tonnes of tubers per month .

De Ladder Establish",,,,,ts Ltd is techn ically ca pable of producing almost all cassava derivatives. Presently. it prod uces and sells cassava starch and casS'J va- based adhesives. The company was in the process of geuing a loa n to buy mac hinery fo r the production of primary cassava and modified sta rch, glucose. and m altose in add ition to adh esives. The main infrJstfu ctures of la nd and bu ilding have been acquired in Benin C ity for this expa nsion and they were inspected . Th is company wo ul d cenainly be a majo r co nsumer of cassava tu bers and starch in future. The co mpany used ro buy about 4 ronnes o f starch m onthly, but nO\\' it would require abo ut 5 {onnes of starch dai ly (i.e ., 100 connes/month) to meet its demands. 149

Observations, condusion, and recommendation Cost and return (profitabiity) analysis for selected cassava products in Edo State The production com and profitability analysis ofmajor cassava products with high potential for market-driven agroprocessing enterprise acc pn:sented in Tables 7-11. The depreciatjon on processing shed. machinery, fools, and implements were based on the estimate from the straightline method. The cost of capical (10%) was based on the interest rate from the state's microcredit agency. Union Bank of Nigeria Pic and NACRDB lend at 19 and 8% interest rate, respecrivciy. btl[ most farmers in tilt' state have more access to the state's microcredit agency. The study, therefore. considered access to fiR41ncial institutions and the number of f..rmer beneficiaries per institution in choosing the cost of capital at 8%. Except for fofo production. all the analysis was based on the conage levd agroprocessing enterprise.

Gafi Gil'; is the most popular proccs.sal and consumed cassava product in Nigeria. Consider-

able advancements have ba:n made at cottage: levd in the processi ng of Qssava tubers into gari. The COtl3U industria we,.: in (he lead in the production of gari in the state. The srudy att ributed ,his scr:nario to the simple nature of the micropr~ing units. availability of spare pans. low maintenance COSI. and high Icvd of durability of associated equipment. The processing of cassava ruben into gan路 involves several units of operations scan-ing from harvesting to peeling. washing. grating. fennentation. dewatering. depulping. sifting. frying. and packaging. Various machine/tools were used at various stages. These machines have been wdl depreciated in arriving at the profitability of the ga,; enterprise. The analysis showed that about 4.5 tonnes ofgP'; was realized from processing 15 tonnes of peeled fresh cassava root (.bout 18 tonna of unpeeled root). Table 5 indicates a gross margin ofN80 200 and a ncr profit ofN42 885. The most variable cost in the enterprise was raw material. which accounted for about 48.2% of the total cost of production. A fixed cost of 20% was considered faYOl2ble for the enterprise. lhc BCR of 1.2: I also indicated that the business was profitable. Improvcmcnron the machinctyltools to achieve longer life span will further reduce the liud cost and impact positivdy on both the net rttum and BCR.

150

Table 5. Cost-<elum analysis

t~lity'

for producing gat; at cottage level. Unit prier

Valuc

(N)

Uni,

(N)

IN)

4500 150

kg kg

20 20

225000 3000

15000

90000 4400

O utput

Revenue

G.n Glln byproduct CHSayjra

Y:ui..2ble COSts Cuuva rubcr Peding, washing

4000 5000 17000 400 2200

49A2 2AI 4.39 2.20 2.75 9-33 0.22 1.21

3000 10800 144800

1.65 5.93 79.5 1

5300 650

2.91 0.36

Prime movcr/diesd engine- IO hp (water 100 L)

4225

2.32

Hydraulic prcs5 Crinding mills with OICceuoriCS for proccuiog gllri by-product to gC! ClSSavi12 Mi xe r with stainless stttl

2430 2000

1.33 1.10

650

0.36

1500 2000 500 800 10 000

0.82 1.10 0.27 0.44 5.50

13 490 373 15 182 11 5

7.41 20A9 100

Graling

8000

Prasing Pulvcri:z.ation. st}Vinglsitting Gr.Jlifying dry roasl ,ng/frying

Drying/cooling 2nd stage sirti ng/siC'Ving Fud P«bgin&,b.gging T oral y.uiabJe con Fixed allOts Dcpn:ciatiol1 of prCk:C'Ssing

shC'd

Grater with stainless steel hop~ r and grating scrttn

Storagt."/fermenu.tion platform/soak away Mororiud si(u'r

Tny fryu Co ntai nas. 1'ttling knives Innallarion COSt of CJpilal (8%)

Tota l 6xcd cost Total (n"C • TFC) Gross ma.-gin (TR- TVO NC'I rrrum (TR- Te)

CO"

80 200

42885 I.H

Benefit-alSl r:ario

15 1

Cassava flour Cassava flou r \'las produced for direct consumption or as an intermediate produce an d basic raw material for the confectionery industry. Cassava Aouf co nstitutes a substantial

raw material proportion in baking bread, biscuit. cookies. and pastries currently available in the country. The [ask of obtaining flo ur from cassava involves gracing of IXded cassava tubers, dewatering of the mas h, drying, milling, and sieving ro ger the desired qua liry. Also, various machines/tools were used at va rious stages of operarion . The profitabil ity analysis depreciated these machineslrools in arriving at the profi tabiliry of ,he busi ness. Table 6 indicates that abou t 5.2 ronnes o f industrial Aoue was o btained from 15 tonn es of peeled cassava roor. This amounted to a reve nue of N31 5 000 from N 90 000 cost of raw marerial. A ner rerum ofNI35 542 and a cOst BCRof 1.8: I were obtained after inputring rhe varia ble and fixed COsts of productio n. BCR indicates ,hat the enterprise was profirable .

Starch Starch derived from cassava ruber has a variety of uses. It competes favorably with starch obtained fro m potaroes. maize. and wheal. Two types exist: one was the food grade starch and the other was industrial starch. This survey observed that the larges t consumer of starch was the conversi o n industry, for producing sweetener (glucose. syrup. malease, and dextrose). T hese sweeteners compete with sucrose derived from cane and beet sugars for which they were a partial or complete substitute. These materials were used in ind ustries such as fruit canning. confectionery. bakery. ice cream making, beverages. alcohol, ferm entation, e rc. Other uses of srarch observed in the field were as rhickener or filler in such products as custard, sou p, baby food. ice cream, an d pharmaceuticals. Also, starch was used to bind sausage, processed meat , as well as in paper, textile. dextrin, and adhesive industries. The essential operations in processing fresh cassava root into starch invo lve peeling. washing, rasp ing, mil ling, sieving of pulp, and drying of rhe starch. But ar rhe cottage level, vario us mach ines have been introduced to increase the efficiency of extraction, dTectivenessJ and qualiry of starch. T hese operario ns and ,he machines involved h ave been considered in rhe cost-benefit analysis of the starch en terprises. The profitabiliry analysis as seen from T able 7 indicates a gross margin of N131 350 and a ner return of NB8 644 fro m IS ronnes of peeled cassava root. The BCR of 1.5: I indicates that ,he enrerprise was positive and profitable. Improved efficiency in the exuaClion process will improve the cost of operario n and increase BCR and net return . Even rhough ,he net profir has been pur at NB8 644, additional re"enue of N2700 could be derived fro m selling the dry peels, which were in high demand for pig produa ion.

152

Table 6. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for producing fl our from unfermented material at cottage level.

Revenue

Unit

Unit price (N)

(N)

5250

3 15000

15000

90 000 4400 8000 4000 ;000

50.1 2.5 4. 5 2.3 2.8

1600 8000 2200 3000 12000 138200

0.9 4.5 1.3 1.7 6.8

Flour Variable COSt Cassa\':l tubers P('eiing. dicing/slici ng and washing

Value

(Nl

Output

Gr.ning/pulping Pressing!dewatering

Pulveriu t ionfs ift ing Drying

Milling for fl our qualiry Sieving

Fud Packaging/sealing

Total variable COst

77.9

Fixed costs

2.8 0.4 1.9

Depreciation of processing shed Prime mover/diesel engine (10 hp) G rau:r with stainless sted hopper and grating screen

5300 4225

HydrJulic pres..~

2430 2000

0.2

2000

0.2 0.3 0.5

650

Clog brea ker/hammer mill and plate

1.\

o r combine mill grinder

Motorized ~i fti ng machine/sifter Dryer/drying slab Comainers. peding knives Instal12tion Cost of capi tal (8%)

560 800 10 000 13293 4 1258 179458 176 800 J 35 ;42 1.8, 1

Total fixed COSt Total COSt fTC) G ross margin (TR路TVC) Nc[ re[Urn (TR路TC) Ikne6[~OSl r.lIio

153

5.6 9.1 22. 1 100

Table 7_ Cost-reblm a natysis (profitability) for produeing s tarch at cot:tage 6evel.

0..,.,. IN )

""-s....d>

JOOO

By.prOOucI

Vlo nlohLe CO'll CI.~IoJV:l rubt-I"I

"000

1\·d i nl1bru." in~ IU ,.:mow:

p.."Tic:arp "nIy C r~ I irlfirupi n g "li d Dlillinc to &n pufplloknry Scn~rUnt1~i"G D;~d;I'[;

Unir

URic pticx

V~~

(N)

'"~

HuOOO

IK7SO 1.')R750

')0

000

..... +i1J()

1000 1000

rw-oca.s fOr w C't lurch

.. 51.00

2.60 2.36 0.59 O.5'J

1'resa.inYrnaNna tkwatmnt D"'ing 1<» 2bn1111 I 'i% mtti~Ulrr Cf>n tml

""'"

2.36

)000

1.77

PuI-..n-Uxion dryint scrcmingticwi"G

SOOO

2.9<

Fud. " ",,ter. etc. Pxlu;i_t;l 5Ulint T orAl Y"li.. blt L~

3000 12000 12] "'"

1.77

7.0 7 7i.03

FiJ.t"J eosu Dq>lo:cUliufl on sbc:&.i 1:lq>R'l:i.uion nl pfin~ dic-fd Clltine (10 hp)

Dcprt"ci3lit'lfl of t,:ItCl"fraq'ICr 1)'1>1"1.~ iJ'iun uf l('~'\:nin& m:u:hinc muHlriud/ u ;l.Ich mill ~ f

100110

s."

4225

lA9

<SO

0.38 IUO

q7SU

"""

Dq'f"eci.J ltoll of sc:diml'"nUfion o.:hamloc, /nllOk Dq>ra: i~ l ion

O.SoII

"y,\rAll ie rr..-u DCI>rt<:mto" plllY(Tizif)~ nlOKh ill rl p" lr bK~.

2130 2200

Dcpn-c:wlor\ .n.oru'in."'lI wrln rkrrKw ioll .. io-u\'ClIImcdu" M: al J . yt',fJryin& dJI.

2001'

l. Uf

S5<O

3.2.7

1.43 1.3<1

Dcprn:iuion conniflcD. palill!; lir m-.a IIIM.lIJfio n ('.-c of n piul (8%) T nul fin-Q all(

IiOO

0.47

100lI0

S."

14441

' .SO

42406

'''-97

T Oftol CDS( (nIC.11=t-l

16980(1

100

Grou nurg,in rm.- lVC) N.."1 •..-fum.,d (T k - TC) 8cn<'"fir~ r.ifio (BCR)

II I 350 .11 ",4

1.5: 1

154

Cassava chips Th~

production of chips and ~lIers Was ~~ to the r<quin:ment of the animal f~ed industry. alt hough ed ibl~ chips for human consumption w<:r~ produa d in some <=eS. As

a majo r raw materia] for ed12flOI production and cheap source of energy suppl~m ent in

livestock industries, chips were cu~ntly dmlilnded at both inrem:uional and local markets. The only setback in rhe enterprise is .hat lhe market price w:as nor competitive enough for mass production even whm n:xa rch observed that the technology was simple and dlicicn t. Profitabiliry analysis as pr= nred in Table 8 indic ta a negative gross margin of - N27 400 Table 8. Cost-retum analysis (profitability) for producing chips. Output (N)

R.v.nu.

Unit

6000

Unit prier (N)

V:tJ ue

84000

90000

(N)

Chips V:ul::r.bJe C;:OSI

15 000

4400

5968 2.92

Chipping and gT2(jng

4000

2.65

Ovtn drying al 12% moisture COnl('nt

3000 2000

1.99

Cassava lUbers

Peding/wash ing

Fuel . W3fd'. etc.

1.33

8000

530

111400

73.87

orprocr.ssing shed

5300

ChiplXC wic h stainless Sled and stainless disc

650

3.51 0.43

Packatint T oral v::niabk cosrs Fixed COSlS [)copn:cU(ion

Prime mover/diesel engine ( 10 hp)

2430

1.61

Airovc n d ~r

5560

3 .69

1500

0.99

Iosr2l1ation

2000 800 10000

1.33 0 .53 6.63

Cost of ",pit" (8%)

II 17 1

7.41

Drying/cooling pl:u fDcm Tarpaulin Conf20i nc: rs. pttling knives

Toral 6.ed COS( Tot1l COSt Gross margin (TR-1VO

Nn rerum (fR路Tq

394 11

26. 13

1508 11 - 27400 ..;>6,8 11

100.00

0.56:1

Ikndlt-cou Ratio (BCR)

155

and a negative net return of -N66 811 from 15 to nnes of fresh cassava roots. Further investigation shows that fixed costs consti[Ute only abom 260/0 of the total cost with high percentage variable cost 0[73.81 % f.om raw material. BCR was b elow one, not profitable,

and should not be embarked upon unless the price improves. Industrial demand was high but at a price range ofNIO 000 (0 NI4 000 per to nne. About 3-4 (Onnes of fresh root were required to produ ce one to nne of chips. The survey o bserved that the price was again subject to availability of mai z.e, which was a substitute, or in some cases a supplement raw material to chips in feed industries. Table 9. Cost return analysis (profitability) for producing gar; (for tutu production). ampUl (N)

Uni e price

Value

Unit

(N)

3750

225000

15000

Reven ue

Fufu Variable costs

Cassava tubers

90000

60.46

Peel ing, wash ing

4400

2.96

Grating (optional)

8000'

Water fo r soaking/fermentation

6000

4.03

7000 4000 6000 3000 7500 127500

4.70 2.70 4.03 2.02 86.65

5300

3.56

Extractionl sieving Pressing

Sieving Drying Packaging/wrapping T oral variable cost

Fixed costs Deprecation of process ing shed Grating

650 ' 4225" 2430 2000' 300 1500 800 J J 026 21 35 6 148 856 97500

Prime mover/d iesel engine (10 hp) Press Motoriz.ed screenerlsirrer Manual sifter Soaking reservo ir/ rermctlt uio n va t

ConrainerijXcli ng kn ivc!> C ust o r t:ap inl (8%)

Tnt:11fixd Tot ~, ! COS I

COS!

rrvc + TFC)

Gwss m;u g,in (TR-TVC) Net return Cl' R- TC)

76144 1.5: 1

BC ll cfi t-;-co s t rat io â&#x20AC;˘ AppliCltion is cp ~i oaal and nut co n~ i d crcd in rhe prohl.lbil ity analysis.

156

5.04

1.63 0.20

om 0.54 7.4 1 14.35 100

Fufu

Fuji" ,vas presently gaining natio nal acceptance in the Nigeria food market. The survey observed rhatfufo was currently competin g with gar; at th e domestic market. Most communities ma rketed large ronnes of fufu per period of time. This sudden change in theJUfo market according to the respo nden ts was anributed [0 the low cost of production and easy storage strategies obtainable in Jufo enterprise. Th is was in additio n to the consumer preference over gari in most parts of the oountry. Various methods involving minimal use

of machines were used ill the production offoJU from raw cassava tuber. Analysis (Table 9) shows that about 7.5 ton nes ofJufo was produced from 15 tonnes of peeled cassava roots. Profitabil ity analysis does not consider the gratin g operation and the use of grater. prim mover, and m otorized sifter in the o peration as the ir application was o ptio nal. Analysis

indicates positive grass morgin and net return ofN97 500 and N 76 1~4, respectively. A positive BCR of 1.5 :I indicates that fufi, prod uction was profitable. The better net retu rn and BCR also justify the gradual shirt from gar; to fiifU enterprise by processors.

157

Table 10. Edo South senatorial distri ct prioritizing li sting. I st score

CheckJisr

3rd Korc

Ogueka

2nd score Eguoholor

Ugonoba

Contiguous land avai lab ility bot h for

farm ing and processing planr 10% Willingness to participate 10%

Accessibility to the comm un iÂŁ}' and farm land 10%

2 2

Presence of registered rarmers cooperative 10% Existing and fu nctional 3% N on funct iona l 2% Viability 5%

Prc:st."tH cassava p rodu ction level I O'Yt,

PrL"St'nce o f funds/inst it utionl l support 10%

1 3 3

Financial insti tution 4% 3%

~COs

IHIHtlthrift coll ect io n 3% Rural in fras tructura l f.1.cili ti cs 10%

Electri city 2%

\Xla ter 4%

Road 3% (tarmac 2%. e.tnh road I U/o Commun icat ion 2%

Avai lability of market for sd rctt:d products 10%

Available m:mpower 10%

10 6

Com munity experience on deveiopmenÂŁJI venturel

project 10%

Toral = 100%

158

Table ' 1. Edo Central senatorial dist rict prioritizing listing. 1st score Igueben

2 nd sco re Ogua

3rd sco re Ujogba

Cont iguous lan d availability bot h for farmin g an d processing plant IOq.n

Will ingnl"ss

2 3 2 2

2 1 2 2

Avaibbi li ty of market for selected produclS 10%

Avai labl e man power 10%

Comm uni ty expe rience on develop mental venture! project 10%

To ta l = 100%

C hecklist

participate 10%

Accessibil ity to (he com munit), and farm Jand 100/0

•

Presence of fa rmers cooperative ] 0% Existi ng and fu nctio nal 3% N on fun ctional 2% Viability 5%

Present cassava producuon level ] 0% Presence of funds/i nstituti onal support 10% Financial instilution 4% N GOs3% • lmm/ th rift collection 3%

4 2

Rural infrasrrucrura l facili ries 10%

•

Elect riciry 2% Water 4% Road 3% (ta rmac 2%, earth road 1% Commu nica tion 2%

159

1 2

Table 12. Edo North senatorial district prioritizing listing. 1s( score

3rd sco re

1st score

Ebcse Ivbiavo

Ihievbe

Ubuleke

Contiguous land aV:lilabili<y bo,h for farming and processing plant 10%

Willingness [0 panicipatC' 10%

Accessibi lity ro the commu nity and farm land 10%

Existing and functio nal 3% Non functiona l 2%

-2

-2 2

Viabili ty 50/0

5 9

2 2 2

2 2

Availability of markct for seiC'ctcd products 10%

Available man powe r 10%

Community Experience on devel opmental

Checklist

Presence of farmers cooperative 10%

Present cassava production levd 10% Presence of fu ndsli nsritutionai support ] 0%

Financial institution 4% NGOs 3% IWJUlthrift collection 3% Rural infras[ructural facilities 100/0

Electriciry 2% Warcr4%

â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

Road 3% (ta rmac 2%, earth road 1% Comm unication 2%

vC'nture/project lO%

Toral = 100%

Prioritizing the community/project sites The nine selected communities were scored using [he designed checklist as presented in T ables 10-12. From the scoring. O gueka communi<y (in ,he Sout h senarorial), 19ueben (Central senatorial) . and Ebese-Ivbiaro (in the Norrh sena,orial) we re ",ed fim p er respective sena tori:11 lones. Of the three communi ties considered in the south senatorial zone:, Ogueka as shown above was the most suitable w ith 90% score com pared (0 Eguaho!or and Ugonoba with 65% and 64%, respectively. Ugonoba was the leasrqualified because the community empha. sized that they would nor be ab le 10 finance building the Facrory on the ir own. The team considered Ogueka ideal for the project, not only because the community already had a

160

factory buildi ng for the project, but also becallse the location was central and well placed for raw materia l collection and product distribution . Besides De Ladder Establishment Ltd, ma nu facturer o f adhesives and modified starch were anxious to take all the starch product

of the p roject if established an d a NGO (VOCASA) associated with the community and already trai ning cassava growe rs in the comm unity wishes to use the proposed project if established for trai n ing potential processors .

Apart from Ujoogba , wh ich was not vcry enthusiastic about the projects particularly in fina nci ng the factory building, Igueben, and Ogua communities wou ld be suitable for .he selecred project (Aour in both cases). However, Igueben has an edge over Ogua as indicated in the above table because the community will obv iously h ave better access to financial sup~ port necessary fo r smoot h running of the project after establi shment. And the traditional

ruler/ head of Igueben rown apparendy had good control of his people and was personally enrhusiasric ahom [he project. This suggests positive and efficient management control, which could bene fit loan recovery and en hance project sustainabililY in the com mun ity . T he team be lieved rhat Ubuleke co mmunity's technical and organizational experience appear illferior to those of Ebesi Ivb iaro and [hevbe. so also was the access road to [he com~ mun ity. Ebese Ivbiaro was considered most central, most experienced, and organized to

manage .he proposed project efficiently. Ivbiaro was already informed abo Ul industrial uses of cassava products and they we re enthusiastic in takin g advantage of this UTA sch eme .

Final remarks and recommendations Many pitiable revelarions were observed durin g this survey, cht: mosc relevam of which were: • Cassava productio n in Edo Sta te was colossal. Cassava production was the primary occupatio n of m ost farmers in the p urely agrar ian sca te and chese farm ers were poo r. •

Th e wastage in th e cassava indu stry in Edo Scate: was uni maginable. There we re

numero us four, three, and twO-rear-old fa rms still unharvested. And such valuable byproducts as cassava leaves and peels (nceded for feed fo rmulations) from th eir processing me thods we re simply discarded.

Low knowledge about utilization of cassava beyond t he tradi tio nal gari,fofi" balls, rkn, tap ioca, and edible wet starch was apparent. Farm ers were anxious ro receive and adopt the mu ch ~ publicized IITA im proved cas~

sava (CMD) varieties. foarmers in the stare were in dire need of fi na ncial empowerment (hrou gh mi croc redic. •

En vironmental hazard from agroprocess ing was high and processors have li mired kn owledge of environmental managcmem.

161

Conclusion The surv ey was based o n present: farming and processing practices associated with hi gh labor cost, processing mach inery with low efiiciency. and cassava genotypes aflow quality both in terms of tu ber yield an d disease infes tation. Despite these unfavorable economic conditions, the selected projects were still profitable and viable at least in the local (Nigeria) markets. In fu ture, labor costs may continue ÂŁ0 increase buÂŁ with the ongoing lITA interve ntion and determ ination to improve on and standardi ze planting materiaJs (cu h ivars) and processing cquipmenrs. thtre will be: N ew ly developed cassava genorypes that are disease-resista nt available to farmers . Su bstantial increase in farm yields (the prese nt low yield of 9- 12 tonnes of tuber! hecra re was expected to risc t'O 45-50 wnnts/hecraft: w ith the new high yielding varieti es). Improvem ent in p rocessing equ ipment and Lechniques. The impl icario ns of such a situation we re th at cassava processing to various products. including the selected starch a nd Ro ur in this survey, will beco me very profitable m the extent that fa rmers and processors would drop their selling prices to compete favorabl y in the world ma rkets. Certainly. the objectives of this scheme to establ ish viab Je co mmu nity SME cassava projects. expand cassava uriliza(io n. and crea te massive job opportuni ti es. were lauda ble and the results will be fantastic if im plem ented .

162

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Enugu State

Introduction One m ajor way of arresting the envisaged glu t in cassava productio n is 10 accelerate a postharvest diversi fication program which entails the processing of cassava raw tubers inm several foods. industrial in termediates and final products of long shelf-life. and expansion ofio caI and expon marke."s (o r the produC[s. As pa rr of initiatives to accomplish the above objective. UTA spo nsored a Posrnarvesr Needs Assessment Survey in Enugu State. T he general objective was to undertake th e needs assessment oflargest cassava produci ng areas of Enugu in o rd er to obtain info rm ati o n on what will be req uired to establish a viable sm all- or medi um -scale co mmun ity-based cassava processing plant in Enugu State. SpecificaJly, the srudy identified nine representative comm un il ies in three local governments in the three stnarorial zones ofE nugu Stal e with {he largest cassava p roducti on; assessed the instituti onal an d poli{ical sup po n fo r t he promo tion of improved cassava postharvest technologies. an d expanded uti liza tion in the sta te; using a demand-d riven ap proach. evaluated the enterprise and m arke t for selected cassava- based products at the com munity, srate. and regio nal levels; and m ade reco m mendat ions fo r rhe selection. inrrodu crioll, an d es tablishment of community-based cassava processin g pla nts based on products. return on investment, income gene rario n, and posit ive impacl.

DeSCription of Enugu State En ugu State is localed in the hum id. tropical rai n forest zo ne. Its rem perature is characteristic of a tropical clima te with mean daily temperature of abou t 26.7 "C. The average difference berween the max im um and m inim um temperat ure is about 8 DC ( ll "'C in the dry season and 6 Ol e in th e rainy season). N ighr temperatures are fa irl ), uniform, about 11 "C cooler ,ha n the more mod erate r:l iny day lcm pera tu res. The stare's rel ari vc humi d ity is ra irly h igh es pecially during March-November. Even in tllcdry scason , the mean daily rclacive hu midity is around 70 010 wi .-h a mi nim um or abo u t 600/0 in the evening but w ith a maximum aro und 80% in the morning. During thc rai ny season, the mean daily relative humi dity is abo ut 86% wirh a mi ni mum that is rarely below 80% and maxim um, so metimes close to 100%.

Research approach Selection of participating communities Dara for cassava production in E nugu State for 2003 was obtained from the Enugu State Agricu ltural Develo pmenr Program (ENADEP). T he data showed th e c.ssava production level in En ugu North but did nO t reAect the real ity on the ground for cassava production in Enugu West and E ast . T he ream conducted a brainsto rmin g sessio n with researchers. subject-matter special is ts, and field level extension officers in rhe slare. Guid ed by the o utput of this exercise, the ream selected nine communi ties generall y perceived by part icipants as the largest cassava producing areas in Enugu State as shown in Table 1.

165

Table 1. local govemment areas (lGAs) and communities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Enugu State.

SenalOriai zone

LGA

Enugu Nort h

sukka

En ugu \X'es e

Oj i River

Comm unity O bimo Okpuj e O kuru Ugwuo ba l\ .k pu goezc

Akwll A<:hi Enugu Eas e

Eham ufu

Is i-Uzo r

Ikem Nekc

Selection o f other respondents The (elm first visited the C entral Bank of Nigeri:l, Enugu Branch TO obtain informa cion o n irs role in financin g agriculture and agroprocess ing acti""il ies and oche r banks that wert: invo lved. Based on the info rmation o btain ed, First Bank of Nigeria Pic Enugu and lkem branches; U ni o n Bank o f Nigeria PL En ugu; Afri bank N igeria Pic, E nu gu; an d the N ige ria Agricu ltura l, Cooperative an d Rural Development Bank Ltd. Enu gu were selecred and vi sited . mtaling six banks. h1embers of the team who had information of equip ment fab ric:nors in Enugu Slare who we re invo lved in fab riCl ting agroprocess ing equipm ~n t made it avai lable to th e ream. Based on the inrormation obtained . the Project D evelopment Institute (PRODA), Enu gu, GAPCO Nigeria Ltd Enu gu, and Uwakwe Ente rprises, N sukka, w ere selected , visited, and inrerv iewed. Based on informatio n ob ta ined fro m team members an d tbe field, som e NGOs wo rking in En ugu were identi fied-the Ca tho lic Insti tut e fo r D evelopment Justice and Peace (C lD]AP) and WACOL.

Data collection method D ifferent inte rview schedu les were des igned. val idated. and used for collecting informat ion fro m the co mmunities visited , fina ncial institutions , an d equ ipmen t fab ricators. Info rmation about CIDJAP was obta ined from Iheir publicatio n si nce the team was u nable (0 in terview th e direcror of the institure or any of ies sratf. Stafl"of\X'ACOL were inte rv iewed. O rher inform ation was o btain ed by d isc ussion, d irect observation, an d secondary d ata such as quarterly pub li ca ti ons and ann ual repons. D ata was collected in the study usin g the su rvey melhod. In fo rm ation was obta ined usi ng group interview, di sc ussion and direct observati on , In the case of com munity level needs assess ment, any community leader (Igwe, Eze, town un ion chairman. or youth lea der) who was first met on emrance to th e communi ty was intimated of the learn's missio n, He then gathered other co mmunity m embers who were interviewed as a group, Informarion from each member of the group complemented each other, T he interview was combined with discussio ns on critical issues arising fro m (he 166

interview. Where the communiÂŁ)' marker was on, members of the team went to observe activities and in terviewed traders on cassava bus iness. The price of cassava tubers and cassava products were obtained in [he market and weights of quantities measured with a weighing scale brought to the field by the team.

167

Main findings Community level needs assessment Enugu North senatorial zone CarsQva commodity "Iecled for SME. T he cassa"" products processed in E nu gu North Senarorial zone were gari, akpu (filjit). ttbllcha (rapioca). srarch , niibo, and (J our, At Obimo, the peo p le also usc cassavl as animal ft:ed whil e ;lt Okpuje and Okutu, cassava was p ressed. fermc lH ed. and dried inro cassava balls (ogotlo. (rkWNll1l). All the com munities visi ted selected gayi:1.' th e cassava product they in tend to devel o p for SME.

Com11ltmity Inlowledg~ ofequipment fabricators. AI} rhe commun ities visited identified all the ITIJ.chin er), for in legrarcdgari processin g:tS required for dcvelo ping gtlri for Sh.1E. Wh ile the people o rO ktnu rei, thl]' could gct the ncct!.lSaty mach inery" N,ukka. the people of Okpuje mentioned Nsukka and On irsha and those of Obimo menti oned those two towns as well as Enugu. PRODA, and UTA. I'\one of tile com m un ity had res ide nr fab ri cators. Availability ofcassava roots mId pJ'oduction costs. All the communities visited promised to source for fresh cassava roots from individual fa rms in the co mmu ni lY and neighbo rin g communit ies. O ut! to proximity, Ihe people ofO kutu a)so m ~ ntiont:d thal Ihey could obtain cassava rOo ts from Kogi State. AI! the commun ities vis ited were will ing to supply cassava roors to rhe cassava processi ng plant co nsiste ntl y all yea r round . The data on productio n costs wete sca nt)' in ail loc. tions, but a plot of land (50 xl 00 rt) COstS N30 000 in Obimo, N~O 000 to N 50 000 at Ok puje , and N 50 000 at Oku tu.

Sale o/cassava and cassava products. The m ai n clients purchasinggnri from Obimo were traders from Nsukka, Nkpo logu. and community members. This was do ne every fOllt days at Eke and Nkwo markers . At Okpuje, th e main clie ntS were traders from N sukka, Obukpa, Ovoko, lgboezc:, En ugu . and co mmuni ry members who patronize th em every four-day Orie O kpuj e marker. At Okutu, the clients were tradets ftom Enugu , Nsukka , Orb â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ Ovoko, [dem, (beagwa, Ogbuyaga. Ko gi State (O la, Ad oro, Avuru g), and community members. The tran sactions rook place every fo ur-day Nk-.vo Okuru marker.

Constraints to CiJ.J.JaVA processing. The major constraints to processin g of cassava in all the co mmu n ities visired in the sen:uorial wne were bad roads and transporration (farmers carried the cassava produce all their heads limiting quantity harvested and sold), lack of eno ugh grating machin es. low profit levels. a nd poor finance co nditions. There were no tracror owners or hiring faci lit ies in any of [he commun ities visi ted. The people ofObimo used [Q hire from Ada ni and Igbariam in [he past. Willingness to own caSSAva proussingplant. The funcri onalfregistered associatio n . cooperative, NCO, investor group of (hose willin g to fin ance cassav.a processi ng and a tractor in O bimo we re the 19we in cQu ncil , the rown un ion, Engineer Franc Ugwuoke. and Mr

168

Godrrey D ike. At Okpuje. the Eze in Council was willing to invest in and finance cassava

It was suggested that cassava processors should form themselves into groups. At Okutu. the Nze na Ow Club. OkUlll Youth Movement, Udoka Women's Group, Okutu processing.

Young Fann ers Association, an d Okuru Develo pment Union showed interest. All the communities visited were ready (0 source for the processing plant by acq uiri ng loans to bu ild a processi ng plant within one to two months. T here were no financial inslirurions in all the

co mmunities visited . but a thrift society (Mgbako Thrift Society) operJtes at Okuru.

Plant ownership prefertmces. All the co mmunities visited preferred that the group. which pial'. should own it.

obta ined the loan and finan ced the cassava processing

Availability of land and o,ber supporting infraslTueture. Large contiguous farmland for cassava production was available in all [he communities visited. At Obimo, land was a[

Agbaodo. Arioyida. and Ik-woka Agu. At Okpuje, it was at Agu Okpuje and at Okutu. it was at Aja mani. Ugwuenc. Community land was also available in allloC3rions to build th e cassava processin g plant. None of the communities had electricity tho ugh a hightension wire passed th rou gh Okpue. T he elecrricity projec t al Uktu \.'/as in progress and there was electricit~路 some 0. 5-2 km aw;ty from Ohimo. Water supply was available by stream to all the co nun lill ilics. bur Oukra and O kpuje communities also had private boreholes. Th e roads were bad in all the communities vis ited. T he main means of transportation were motor vehicle , motorcycles, bicycles, wheelbarrows , and trekking. There were pOStal agencies at Ohima and O kpuje, but' GSM fdcil iri es were operational in all the communi ties visited. There w ere no storage facilities.

Managing cassav~ wastl!. The people were aware of the bad odor <l. ssociated with cassava processing. however . no treatment was applied at O bi mo. T he people of Okpuje collected the liqui d into open pits while the people ofOkutu drained the liquid wa"" into open pits. burned the cassava

peels during dry se-.lSon. or used it as m anure .

Enugu West senatorial zone

Cassava commodity seleetedfor SME. Gnr;, akp1l, obnchn (tapioca). srarch, and flour were the major cassava products processed in thi s senalOri<llzone. In addition 拢0 th ese, cassava chips were processed at Ugwuoba. All the communities visited selected gnri for SME due lO

its wide co nsumption pattern and ready market.

Community knowledge ofequipment fabricators. All the commun ities visited identified the mach in ery required for gnri procr:ssing. T hey were those for imegra t'td processing of

gari. which co uld be purchased atOnitsha and Enugu by th e people of Akpuoeze. at Enugu and Oji Rjver by the people of Akwu Achi; and at Nsukka. Enugu. Onitsha, and Nnewi by th e people of Ugwuoba. There were no fabricators in Ugwuoba. but there was one at

Akpuoeu: who fabricates shee ts of the gratcr used in thc cass<lva gra ting machine and two at Akwu Achi who fabricate milling machines, the hydraulic press, and grate rs.

169

AVllilAbiJity ofcassavlZ roots ~"d production costs. All the communities visiu:d assu red the team that rarms in the commu nity could produce any quantity required by the cassava processi ng plant. They were .Iso willing to support and supply cassava ror the SM E plant all year round. The data on production COSts was difficult to obtain in all the communities, but it was tevealed that a plot orland cOsts N30 000 at Akwu Achi and N60 000 at Akpugoeze. The people of Ugwuoba did not reveal the cost of a plot of land but promised that the community would donate [he lan d required for the project. Akpugoeze also promised the same.

Sale 0/cassava and cassava products. The main clients purchasing gar; from Ugwuoba were traders from Enugu. Awk. Onitsha. Agwu. Nimo. Mbaukwu. Amo kwe. and neighboring villages and community members every four-d.y Afor Ugwuoba ma rket. A[ Akougoeze. the traders were from Enugu. Awka. Ekwulobia. Nanka.lgboukwu. and community members every fo ur-d.y Orie Akp ugoeze market. At Akwu Achi the traders were from Imo. Anambra. En ugu. the nonhern states. people &om near-by LGAs and schools. and communi ty members every four-day Afor Ugwuoba. Eke Achi-Ala. and Achi Uno. Nkwo Inyi ma rkets. Constr~ints to cIlJsavaprocess;ng. The main constraints to cassava processing at Ugwuoba

were

bad roads and transportario n (farmers carried the cassava produce on their heads

limiting quantity harvested and sold). rew grating machines. low profit. and poor finance. At Akpugoczc, the consrrain ts were bad roads and transportatio n. few grating machines, poor finance [0 increase production processi ng, and cassava disease. A t Akwu Achi. [he co nstra ints w ere lim ited finance for productio n and processing, low marke[ prices o f caw

cassava tub.rs and processed products. low profit and sometimes loss. difficulty in uprooting cassava during the dry season. and inadequate equipment fo r processing. The peopl. of Akpugoeze have no tracm rs and had no access co hire one. At Ugwuoba. hiring was

expensive. but rhe people of Akwu Achi used to hire &om the local government office. T he people of Ugwuoba also complain ed tha[ cassava andgari productio n were labor-in te nsive and should be mechanized. A[ Akwu Achi. the respondems claimed that the people in the commu nity were poor. Empowerin g them will im prove th eir livelihood.

Willingness to own cassava processing plant. T he funcdonal an d regisrered associatio n. cooperative. NGO, in vesto r group will ing to hna nce cassava processing and a tra ctor at

Ugwuoba were [he Holy Fam ily Gro up. Ofuobi. Umuo nwu-Kike. Udoka Age Grade. and Egbebelu Age Grade, At Akpugoeze. the group' we re Udoka Cooperative Group. Ugoeze Akpugoeze Cooperative, and Feedwell Coopera[ive Group . In bmh locatio ns, no individual was willi ng to be commincd. At Akwu Achi, the grou ps that were willing to fin ance cassava processing and a trac[Q r we re the 19we in co uncil an d cabi net, Jesus bu Eze Cooperative. Am aeriti Women's Cooperative, Ikeneze Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative. Amaetiti Mul-

[ip urpose Cooperative. Ginfag ro Ltd. and Lifemac Industries L[d. The 19w< in council. Dr F. Mbaekwe was also willing to personally finance a cassava processing plant. All the communities visited were will ing

so urce: for a loan to acqu ire processin g plam s and to build

170

the cassav a processing plant when sel ecred. At Ugwuo ba. they ho pe to achieve this in 1- 2 mont hs. at Akpugocze in three month s. and at Akwu Achi with in a week.

PLant owner5hip preferences. All rh e co mmunities visited ::lgreed that ,he gro up or indi vidual w ho provides the ru nds to support the project should be th e ow net.

Allailability of umd and other supportu'g

uifrastructur~.

fa rmland in all the co mmuniti es vis ited . At Ugwuoba. there

T he re was large contiguous

W:l.C;

land ar Ajiagu. Aguonya.

At Akpugoczc. it was at Akwu Achi. up to 500 hectares was at Agtl ogba. M,wtl . and Ala O cha , Co mmuniry land was also avai lable in all rh e comm unities v isited for bui ld ing a house (o r the cassava processi ng plan t. At Apugoeze, the comm un ity land th at was used for

a fail ed rice projecr at Ogwu and mo re in o ther ploces was provided for the project. O nly Akwtl Achi had e1ectr iciry. th ough in a few places. T he electrici ty project in Ugw uoba was in progress. Wa ter s upply was through the stream in all the commu nities and the roads were bad in Ugwuoba and Akpugoeze. The roads were accessible at Akwu Achi . There were no financ ial instirutions in Ugwuoba. but the Udoka Cooperative Gro up. Ugoeze AkpugoC'Ze Cooperative, Feed wel l Cooperative Grou p, Marke r IJmlt Group at Akpugoeze, and the ! SUSlJ Grou ps at Akwu Ach i were w ill ing to gr.:J.nt financial assistance for the cassava process-

ing proj ect. At Akwu Achi . the people claimed tha t NAC RD B does nor give loans. Postal agen cies and GSM facilities were available in all [he commu nit ies an d transpo rt ation was by ma (Q r vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle. wheelbarrow , and u ekking. Th ere were no sto ra ge st ructu res at Ug'o\'uoba, but the re was an aba ndo ned government ware ho use at Akpugoeze and individ ual wareho uses at Akwu Achi.

Managing cassava wast~. All the commu nities visited were aware of the offens iv e odo r associated with CaSS3\'a processi ng , A t Ugwoba and Akp ugoez.e. the liquid waste from the cassava processing units were channel ed into pits. but at Akwu Achi , the liquid wasre was han neled imo nearhy rivers or pit and the peel w as used as manure.

Enugu East senatorial zone

Cassava commodity ..I.ct~dfor SME. Cassava was processed into gari. ilkpu. abacho (tapioca), starch, (l our, and alibo (nku!ltna) in all the com muniti ~s in the senatorial zone , Also, they all sd ecred gnrÂŁ as

me cassava product for SM E in the senaroriaJ zo ne ,

Community knowledge of e'l,upmtnt fabricators. All rhe communi ties visi ted noted that, ll machi nery for integrated gari processing would be required for the cassava product selected. The people of Neke explained that rh ey can purchase the equipment at Enugu ; the peop le of Ikern at Nsu kka . Orba. or Enu gu; while the people of Ehamufu at Nsukka. Enuagu. or Oni"ha. T here were peo ple at Ehamufu who. though not equi pment fabrica(ors, cou ld repair cassava processing machines.

AVililability of caSSllva roots lind productum costs. The commun ity mem bers assured the team tha t they would suppl y all the cassava required by the processing plant in the three: com mu n iries. D ata o n productio n costs were not obtained in this se na torial wne,

171

but a plot of land (SO x 100 I'tl at Ikem and N eke.

COStS

(N )200 000 at Ehamufu. The COstS were not kn own

Sale ofcassava alia cassava products. The clients purchasinggari in Ehamufu were traders fro m Aba, Port H arcourt, Enugu (4-5 lorri es, buses, and pickup vans every Eke marker day, and one lorry other days), and communiry members. At Ikcm, the clients were (raders from Obollo-Afot, Ehamufu, an d community members who purchase gari every luur-<lay Orie at" Ikem marker. At N cke, the diems were traders from Enugu, Ehamufu. and mem bers of the comm uniry. Constra ints 10 cassaV4 p,路oussing. The ma in constraints to cassava proccS5ing at Ehamufu and Ikem wen.:: poor fina nce (or production and process in g, inaccessible roads to bring [he cassava to the processing po int s, and IrJIlSp o rt31io l1. People ca rried the cassava on their heads, limiti ng th e quantity transported, while some we re abandoned in the farm. At Neke. th e main constrain ts were bad roads, low profit levels, and inadeq uate process ing machi nes. The.-e were 110 rracrors at Ehamufu and Neke , but at Ikem, rho ugh there was 110 tractor for cassava producrion, the Rive r Bas in Aut horicy hires one fo r dry season vegetable and rice producrio n. Willingness to own cassava processi'1Jgpiant. The grou ps willin g to finance cassava processing and (raclO rization ar Eham uru we re rhe Igwr in co uncil and cabiner and the age grades. No ind ividual at Eham ufu showed interest in doing this. At Ikem , the Ugo bueze Wo men's Gro up and Messrs Felix Ugwu, Thomas Ogbodo, and Nnamani Jude were wiling LO finance a cassava processing pia m , At N cke, no group was idenrifled in the communi ty but k1essrs Qdo Silas :tnd OdD Eze Sam uel were interested in fi nancing a cassava processing o r tracto rizatio n project, At Ikem and N ekc, the commu nity members were wil ling to sta rt build ing rhe processing pla nt as soo n as [he loan was ready, but ar Ehan1ufu, they were will ing to build wi thin 2-4 months.

Plant ownership preferences. The prefe.-red ownershi p arrangement in all lhe com muni ties visited \\-'as by individuals and groups who obta ined the loa n co finance rhe plant.

Availability of lA,uI and other "'pporting infrastructure. large are as of communi ty land were availab le in all the commu nit ies visited for rarmi ng and construction of a cassava processing plant. Only l kem had clccrriciry. The water supply was via a stream at Ehamu fu and poo r at (kern and Nekc. The roads were bad in all the communit ies visited. In fact the plot oflan d proposed for the project at Ehamufu will req uire the conStruction of an access road to reach it. There was a branch of Firs t Bank Nigeria Pic at (kern and a commu niI)' ban k at Ehamufu. T he respondems, however, complained that First Bank of Nige ria does not give loans. Three NGOslt rain ing institutions operate at EhamufU . These were WARO, John H opkins, and WACOL bm not in agriculture or cassava processing or produ C[io n. T he main means of transportation in all rhe co mmunities were by motor vehicle, mo to rcycle, bicycle. wheelbarrow, and n elling. T here were no communication facil ities at N ekc:. T here

[72

were individual store and warehouses, GSM facilities, an d a postal agency at Ehamufu and

Ikem . The pOSl al agency at Ikem was no longe r functioning.

Managing ClISsava waste. AJJ the comm uni ties \\I~re aware of the environmental hazards associated with cassava processin g. At Ehamufu , they menti oned bad odor and damage to vegetation. At Ikem , bad odor, mosquito breedin g, and dirry environment were identified and at Neke , o nl)' bad odor was mentioned. All the communities visited treat rhe \\Taste by

construc ting dra ins linking the liquid waste to pits o r gullies.

Institutional and political support Traditional ntlers, c01fim"lI.nity leaders, coopnalives, investor groups in the commu路 nity. The traditi ona l rulers, co mmun ity leaders including youth leaders were receprive ro c:stab lishing a community cassava processing plant in rheir communiry. They therefore supported it an d invited others [0 rhe inrerview and discussion session. They also identified coopera tives; invesror grou ps; men's, women's , and youth groups; and individuals in the com munity who were likel y fO suppOrt the project.

Fin ancial institutions

The Central Bank ofNigeria (CBN), E1Iugu is located at Okpara Avenue. It is the apex bank that formulates and monitors policies concerning micro and macro loans and credit to fann ers an d agro proccsso rs. The Fede ral Govern men t in collaboration with CBN has put in place various schemes to give financial assistance to farmers an d small and medium emerprisf:s. T hree of such packages were the Agricultu ral Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund

(ACGSF) . ,he Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SM IES). and the Nigerian Agri cultura l. Cooperative and Rural Developmen t Bank (NACRDB). SMIES is a voluntary initiative of the banker's committee that requires all ban ks in Nigeria to set aside 10 % of its profit before tax (PBT) fo r equity in vestmelH in small- and medium-scale ind ust ries. CBN ens ures [hat th e requ ired tax incentives are granted, monitors implementa~ tion, and gath ers staristics on the impact of rhe scheme, arricula tes cl ea r guidelines for rhe implementation o f the scheme, prepares annual reports. ensures that eac h ban k complies, and penalizes erring banks. ACGSF provides guarantee cove r in respect of loans granted to the agricultural sector and provides interest drawback for farmers borrowing under ACCSF.

CB:--I is the man ag ing agent of the ACGS F and is respo nsible to its boa rd. CB r-: ha ndl es the day-to-day management of the scheme and discharges th is responsibi lity through its Devdopmem Finance Depanment.

Ullion Bank ofNigma PLC, Enugu Branch is locat ed at No 3 Garden Avenue. Enugu. [t carries out norma l cash depos it and savings, loans to farmers and civil servanrs, serves as

broker ro WAIC. and monitors projects. It offers shon- and medium-term loans. lon g-term

loa ns. and SMIES. The procedure for acquiring a loan from the Bank depends on th e type of project. The interest rate was 19%. For agricultural loans especially arable crops. the 10:!n was disbursed within [he planting season and repayment was at harvest. The m ai n

173

problem associated with loan admi nislrat ion was default in payment. fu nding projects for whidl there was no marker, :.md infrasuuctu ral support. No training was alTe red to loan benefi ciaries, but all funded projccts were monitored. The bank was willing ( 0 grant a loan for establishing a cassava processing plant in ~ selected communi ty in the stale for gari. Slarch, and flkpu processi ng. C BN and NAIC collaborate with the bank in carrying out these services.

Afribank Niger;a PJ.C, Enllgu Branch is located at No. 36 Okpara Avenue, Enugu. The services rende-feu we re inr~ rmedi a tion. loans ano overdraft. tra nsmissio n and adv isory service, ma rketing offinancial prod ucts. mergers, and acq uisitio ns and fund ma nagement. The rypes ofloan/fi n3ncia l a.~is tan ce rend ered were overdraft,loans, and adva nces, SM1 ES, small and medium enterprise (SME) promotio n, credit guarantee scheme, and microeconoOlic credit for clubs, associations, tradin g, farmi ng, poultry, and fi shery. T he inte res t ra te was 21 (Yo . T he proced ure for loan acquisition was thro ugh a draw down procedure where che loan package was disbu rsed in stages for land clearing, phmting, weeding, t:tc. Rc:pay ment was at harvest. Projens were moni to red bur no tra ining was provided fo r beneficiaries. T he bank was not wi ll ing to grant a loan for eSlablishing a cassava processing plant in a selected communi ty in th e Slate becaust: of its pa~'t experie nce wit h invl.:slment in Cassava processing, which rc.'iuh ed in a de bt ofN ? mi l1ioll . The main constraims to IO:J. ns managemcIH operati on were defa ult in repayment, lack of collatera l by bo rrowers, dishon es ry. and d ive rsion of loan 10 o ther uses. Borrowe rs also complained of equipment breakdown, lack of spare pans, high cost of ope ratio n, (di esel an d other fuels), an d poo r electri city suppl y for artisans, e.g., welders. CBN and NOOC collaborated in th e services rendered by the bank.

Nigeria Agricu!t,m,!, Cooperative and Rura! Development Bank Ltd, Enugu Zonal Office, is located at NAC ROB Plaza, Independence Layout, Enugu . 11,e services rendered were savings advice on savings. loans, and credir (0 encourage the rural populat ion and urban poor. The ty pes of 10al1 offered we re microcredit and macro credi t, lending, special project loans, an adv isory ofT-shom of the loan/credit. T he interest rat e charged varied with projects as foll ows: microcredit 80/0, macrocredit for agriCU ltural productio n 16.50/0. agroprocessing 17.5째,ro, marketing 18.5%, cotton production 7%. and negotiated for special projects. The disbu rsement also varied with project type. and train ing and monitoring were provided to increase profitability. T he bank was willing \0 grant a loan for establishing a cassava processing plant in a selected community in the state for all products that were profitab le. The ma jor problem associated wi lh loan managemenr was defauh in loan repay ment. T he collaborating bodi es were C BN, Police OPO, prominent !t)embets of the bo rrower's communiry. and NDE.

Fi"st Bank ofNigeria Pic, Enug1l Bra1lch is ar No 21 Okpara Avenue, En ugu. T he typ es of loan and credit ad vancc offered to cl ients in the state were micro an d macroc redit for agricuhural produ ction, processing, an d marketing and SM IES . T he interc~t rate was 20.5 % <lnd the conditions depend on' the t)'pe ofloan and project. T rainin g was not provided fo r loa n beneficiaries , bur monitoringff-o llow up and inspection were rcg ul Jriy done. T ht: ba nk l 74

was willing to grant a loan for establishing a cassava processing plant in a selected commu niry in the state for :m y o ne that was profitable. The constraint in loan managemem was default in payment sometimes due to crop failure. T he ban k's collaborators include

CBN and NODe.

First Blink Pu, Ikem Branch is located in ] kern Town. The services rendered were cash deposit, mo ney transfer, and loans. T he main 'Ype ofl oan offered was microcredit to farmers fo r planting rice, cassava, poult ry, and fi shery. The interesr rate was 20.5%. The procedu re for loan acq uisition requires that the beneficiary opened an acco unt with the bank and deposited 25% worth of the loan. Guaranreeing a loan for groups of 10 people was acceptab le. Repayment was at harvest an d train ing/advice on how to use the money profitably was provid ed along with project monitoring. The bank was willing to grant a loan for estab lishing agari processi ng plant in a selected community. The ma in constra ints to loan management were defa ult in repayment, lo an diversion, and dishonesty. The collaborating

institutio ns with the bank were CBN and the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company. Equipment fabricators

Project Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu is located .r No 3, Independence layo ut /Pn:sident ial Road. Enugu. The equipment fabri cated were the integrated cassava process ing plam , illlegrated palm oil and co rn processing plant. self-actio n cassava gra ter, hydraulic press , and peeling machine. Others include gari fryers (mcchaniz.ed, comm unal,

and village gari fryer), dryers (large an d small), kerosene an d gas heater, Steam cookers, coal and gas burner. The COI1'lpany also fabricates ex nuders/pellelillg machines (gianr, mro ium . small); mul tip urpose grinders, pu lverize rs/mixers. sh redders. depulpers. ro tary sieves, se ttl ing ranks for search. alco hol disti llation columns, e1ecrric mOlOrs, bricks. ch ipping machine (in progress), and plates. The co nstra int associared with fabrication was poor finance for upgradi ng facilities. The insr imre prov ides after sa les service for cuscomcrs an d has loca l mainrcnance/rcpair ca pab ili tits for mher equi pment such as eJccuic generators and allY other equipment.

GAPeO Nig.,.ia Lui, En"g" is loca ted at No 47 Mbanugo Str .. Enugu . The equipment fabricated were mill ing machines. mixers . and kn e'H.i ing machinc:s. GAP CO provides installation and after sa les services and has local capacity ro repair and maintain diesel engines.

Uwakw. Ewo Enterprise is located at No 80 Co rn Mill Zone, Nsukka Main Market. T he equipment fabricated were calisava grater and mill ing machines.

175

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Cost-return analysis (profitability) for gari production from fresh cassava tubers The cost of processing cassava was difficult to est imate beca use m embers of the communilies visited did no r usually pay for labor. It was a household activity. However. cost aflabar was estimated from average wage ran: per day in the communities st ud ied. !V1any of the ute nsils used for processing C:l,~sava we re also used for other ho usehold tasks so the cost and d epreciation on ute nsils should he much less. However the cost- return ana lysis (profitab ilit y) for gllri production from fresh cassava tubers is presemed in Table 2. The da ta shows lh at if all the (a ctors are taken inro consideratio n, processing of cassava into garj was not a via ble business. However. si nce procluclion is a household business, m ost of the labor inputs are nO t paid for. Fo r a processing planr that will pay irs wo rkforce, mechaniza tion sho uld increase ourpu t (0 a level that it will break even w itho ut much difficulty and make ap preciable profit to sustain the business. Table 2. Cost-return analysis (profitability) for gari production from fresh cassava tubers in Enugu state. Quantity (k!;l

Variables

Revenue (rom gari sales Variabl e costs Cassava tubers Peeling and wa5hing Grating and prt'ssing Frying Fuel Bags for dewatering aAd packagj~ T otal variable cos[ Fixed com (FC)

Unit price per (kg)

Value (N)

3240

38.99

126327.6

12 000

5.58 2. 13

66960 25560

1.37

8220 5000 1000 900 1T5860

rrvo

3500 131

Shed Sieve Fryer and tripod sta.nd Spreading sheets Containers and knives Total fixed costs (10%) Toral cost GM (TR-TVC) Net return, (TR-TC) Beneflt-<osl ratio

260 290 795 12 083.60 132919.60

10 467.60 6592 0.95:1

176

Prioritized sites and products in Ebonyi State The three pri orit iz.ed s ite'S rh:lt we re reco m me nded for siring the cassava processin g p lanrs were O kpujc in N , ukka LG A, En u gu North ,enatorial zo ne; AkwlI Achi in Oji River LGA, Enugu W es t senaw rial zone, and Ehamu fu in lsi Uzor LGA, En ugu EaSt senarocial zone based o n findings from t he survey. Okpuje, Akwu Achi, and E hamufu have clecrriciry, wa ter, ab und:m r land , an d cassava fa rms. T hey wefe also surround ed by cassava prod uc. ing communi ties and ready to suppo rt and supply cassava to the plant. They already have ma rkets outside lheir co mmuniti es and we re w illing to acq llire a loa n to assist in financing , he projec t. From the sur. . .ey, n o community processed cassava int o o nly o ne produc r. Altho ugh all th e communiti es opted fo r '3 gnri process ing plam, th e cassava process ing pla nt shoul d be des igned and eq ui pped with racii iries (0 process all the cassa va products- gori, srarch ,fiifu t nbacha, ch ips, and flou r. making it an integrated cassava process ing plam 'a nd new markets sho uld be identified to increase coverage. This arra ngement would reduce the drudgery in cassava processing, increase outpu t, prof1 t and inco me , stim ulate furt her cassava produ c~ ti on, redu ce po verty, en hance standards of li"in g, and se rve the integ rated needs of [he co m munities in a hol istic way.

177

The Cassava Postharvest Needs Assessment Survey for Imo State

Introduction One major way of arresti ng the envisaged glur in cassava prod uction is fO accelerate a postharvest diversification program whi ch entails the processing of cassava raw tubers into several foods. industrial in termedia tes and nnal products of long shelf-life. and ex pansion of local and export m arkets fo r cassava products. As part of in itiatives to acco mplish th e.bove objective, IITA sponsored a Postha rvest Needs Assessmenr Survey in Imo State. The general objective was to underta ke the needs assess ment oflargesl cassava prod ucing areas orIm o in order to obtai n information on what will be req uired {Q establish viable small- or medium-scale, commun ity-based cassava processi ng pla n ts in Imo State. Specifically. th e study identified nine rep resemative com munities in three local gove rnm ents in the th ree senato rial zones orImo with the largest cassava production; assessed the institutional and political suppOrt for the p romotio n of im proved cassava' postharvest techn ologies and ex panded ut ilization in the state; using a demand d riven approach , evaluated (he enter prise and m arker for selected cassava-based products at the com mun ity, state and regional levels; and made reco mmendations for th e selection . innoduction and establishment of commu n ity- based cas~a\'a proces~in g plan ts based on prod ucts. retu rn o n investment, income ge neration and positive im pacr.

Description of Imo State lrno State is locared in the h umid, tro pical rain fo rest zone, Its te mperature is characteri stic of a trop ical climate w ith mean daily temperature of about 26.7 "C. The average d ifference bet'.veen the maximum an d mi nim um temperature is abou t 8 uC (11 DC in (he dry season and 6 "C in the rainy season). Nigh r te mperatures are lairly uni fo rm being abour II "C cooler th an the mo re mode~-;te rainy day te mperatures. The sta te's relative humid ity is fairly high especia ll y du ri ng (he mont h of Ma rch to November. Even in (he dry seaso n the mean dai ly rel ati ve hum idity is around 70 ~o with a minim um of abo U{ 600/0 in th e even ing bu r with a maximum a round 80% in the morning. During the rainy season , the mean d aily rela live hum idity is abo ut 86% with a min im um which is rarely below 80% and maximum which is somelimes close to 1000/0. In add ition [0 plant ing cassava, fa rme rs in [he state also grow yam, plantain, banana, cocoyam, mai ze, Outed pum pkin. oil palm. citrus, coconut , mango, a nd rice. Ocher agri cu l ~ 1lIral activities in {some parts 00 th e state include fishin g and agroforesrry. Agroprocessing ac tivi ti es he re are latgely at f<lrm .gare level or at the fishing camps. A few large路 and~ m edium sca le food ind m lries, such as a whea t fl out milt pal m o il mills, and bakeries exist in th e state,

Research approach Selection of portidpating communities The survey was carried out in three LGAs in Imo Stare namely Ngor Okpala. OhajilEgbema, and Oki~....e. The largest cassava producing LGAs were selected based on in formation 181

Table 1. Local government areas (LGAs) and commun ities selected for the Needs Assessment survey in Irno State. SenalOrial Zone

LGJ\

Comm uni ty

Owerri

Ngor Okpala

Obike O bikwc

Ntli Orlu

Oh.ji/Egbem.

Etckwuru

Obiri Amafor Okigwe

Okigwc

Agbobu Um llalumiko Ogi i

rece ived from rhe ADP offi ce and the cassava buyers. T hree communities as listed in Table I were randomly selecred from each LGA.

Data collection and analysis A q uestionnaire. design ed with some open-ended q uestions was u sed to co llect d ar<l on the needs assessment at rhe com mu nity level. Each commun ity lead er was informed abou t the study to mo bilize th e key mem bers of his co mmu nity to incl ude Eumcrs. coope rat ive society head s, and wome n leaders at least a d ay befo re the arrival of th e research te::lffi. T he research team consisted of a Postharvest Specialist. an Agricultural Engi neer. a nd an Econo mist. The: inte rview for each LGA lasted a whole day I wh ile the ot her rwo d ays. were used (0 assess the equi pment fab rica\O rs and the financial inst itutio ns with in the state. Th e survey took place in Jun e 200 4. Arre r due assessmen( of the response from [he quest io nn aire, sel ect ion of rhe com mun ity for SME prod uct was based o n th e following: • Age o f m atur~ u n harvested cassava tubers. Ex isrence of' an associario ll o r cooperative society. • Su pp ly of cassava to the processing p lant. • Ownersh ip of rhe plan t. Cost of a plot of bnd (50 by 100 rr).

• • •

Road 'Ype. Electricity supp ly l O the com munity. Co mm u nicat ion. Fab ricator within the co m m u n ity. Pro fi tabil iry o f gari processi ng. Each was weighed on a ratin g sC'J. lc ofo {Q 3. I (03. o r J to 4 . Based o n th is scale. each comm unity was ranked and the pe rcentage score of each co m munity was calculated .

\ &1

Main findings Community level needs assessment Cassava commodity selected for SME T he cassava products commonly produced for domestic and com m~rciaJ purposes in the nine comm unit ies are gari. okpll, and ta pioca. Cori. however. remains the major comme rcial product in Ohaji/ Egbema and N gor O kpala LGAs. T he preference for akpu in Agbobu (Okigwe LGA) may be .mibu(ed m ainly 10 di elarY habi!. T he people in (his communiI)' regard ilkpu. a.~ a heavier meal than gllri. Mo reover processing of cassava (0 akpu which requires p edin g, fe rment ing and sievin g lO remove (he lignified porrions is fa r less laborious 111 ;111 processi ng cassa v;} into gari. Tapioca . sometimes called abllcha or eberrbe-jiakpu in some comm un ities, is seen largely as a snack before a full meal. Ir can be prepared in (wo difTere nl (orm s; (he long dried stra nds (nfisa) and (he weI (hin slices (obodol. Onl y Agb ob u in Ok igwc LGA produces tap ioca (miJo) in la rge commercial quanti ties. It was noted tha t in Agbobu a nd the surround ing co mmunities incl uding Isuochi in Abia State, m i r(/ is prt pa rcd as a sr~rt cr cou rse for every im portant occasion. Other prod ucts such as IlkoTll-j inkpu J rc Jlso produced in small qu an tities in the n ine communi t ies and o nly sold at th e village mark et level. In Umua!umoke (Okigwc lGA) cassava stem s are used w i some other materials in th e man uf.1.CfUrC orlocal gun powder. AI! t hree co mm un ities in O haji/Egbema LGA selected cassava flour for the SME p ro~ gra m wh ile E(ek'Wuru included e(hanol and O b iri included srarch. [n N gor Okpala LGA. Obike selected gari, Ntu selected cassava oour, while Obikwe seiectcd gnri and cassava Ro ur. Agbobu in Oki gwe LGA selecred cassava nour. and e(hanol and while Um ualum uoke and Ogii selected starch . The choice ofS.M E products in [hese d ifferent co mmun it ies appeared 10 be gu ided more o n , he final end- use r and probable marker demand (han w ha, (he communiI)' is capable of producing.

Community knowledge of equipment fabricators The machinery and th e rechno logy invo lved in the production were nO{ known but th ere was a stron g meas ure of wi ll ingness by members of the commu niti es fo r training in the (echnologies involved in rhe produClion of , he selected SME produw .

Availability of cassava roots and production costs T he will ingness to supply cassava for th e cassava processing plant was highly suppo rted. Wh ile N( u and Obikwe (Ngor O kpala LGA) . Etekwuru (Ohaji/Egbema LGA). and all th ree comm uni"lil's in Okit;'vc LGA claimed that (he cassava produced in the communities will sustain the plant" product ion irrespective of the size of the demand. Obikwe (Ngor Okpala LGA ) and Amaror (Ohaji/Egbema LGA) indica(ed (hat apa" fro m (he commun iry , the slippon of supplies to the plan t wi ll also come from coo perative gro ups with in ,he co mmllni(y. Obiri (O haji- Egbem. LGA) claimed rhar sup port from (he comm uni( y

183

will be reinforced by supplies from neighboring communities. All the nine communi ties however: insisted that co nsistency of suppl ies ro the processi ng pla.nr will be as required: daily, weekly or as ,he case may be. Gari is the most commonly produced cassa.va product in Imo Stare. Akpu is also produced and consumed in large quamities but its consumptio n is more amo ng rura l dwe llers and in pardcubr during special occasions. T he quant ity of cassavCl roots processed into gar; a, a given ,ime ra nges from 77.9 to 3 11 .6 kg. Prices of ,his bag ranged [rom ~2400 N2800 in O hajilEgbema. LeA and N2000 to N2400 in Ngo r O kpala LGA, and at a fix ed price ofN2400 in Umll.lu moke in Okigwe LGA. Agbobu and Ogii in Okigwe LGA produced akpu in commcrcial <]lIanrities instead of gnri. A medium size basin of about 20 liter-capacity of IIkpu is sold for N700 in Agbo bu and N50 0 in Ogii. T he cost-return 3nalys is involved in lhe production of gnri in these LGAs is presented in Table 2 while rhat of product ion of akptt is shown in Table 3. T he gar; o u'put of a 50-kg rice hag as evalm,ed at 253.2 kg. The unit price at Ohaj il Egbema LeA varied between N 21.5 an d :-l76.3 and between N51J.5 and N57.2 in Ngo r O kpala LeA giving a ,otal revenue ofNG203,4 - N 12406.8 and N I 3 799.4 - N14 483.0 respectively. Generally, processing gari involves harvesting. cleaning, peeli ng, washing, gra ting, dewatering, and frying. The fi rsr five stages must be completed the same day. While the: 5,10 stage (grating) has been J1'1e'chanizcd, stages 1-4 ;]rc carried out manually resulting in a high daily wage hill fo r lahorers. T he COst of the ",bers also varied depending on ,he season o f the yea r, whether dry season when harvesting is m;1de difficult due to the hardness of the soil or wet season when the soil is 50ft and harvest ing is made easier. Consequently, the [Otal cost (TC) ,he summ ation of the tota l variab le cost (TVC), and the total lixed cost (T FC) is very high in all the LGAs, the highest being OhajilEgbema. In Ohaji IEgbem' the TVC, TFC, and TC on average ate N23 987.3, N6075.5, and N30 062.8, respectively. While the average cost of ,ubers alone in OhajilEgbema is abou, 40% of the TC, the other processing opera ti on (stages 1-4) costs is estimaced to be 28.8% (of the TC) on average. The TVC in [his LGA is about 79.9~o. Even though th is com munity is highl}' rated for (he production of gflri in lmo state, the cost of production appears to be ;,.ery high. Consequently the gross margi n and net reve nue values ranging from -N13 064.6 to -N8829.2 and - N l 9 198 to - N 14 205.4 , respectively, is an indication of a loss wi th Obiti having the highesr va lue in all the para meters analyzed. Similar conclusions can be drawn from the economic analysis of production of gari in Ngor Okpala LGA. T he TVC, TFC, and T C the ave rage values are N14 864.00, N3855.5 and N1 8 79 16. 5, respectively (Figure 4) while the cost of the tubers is about 30.9%, other processing stages (stages 1-4) is 37.7%, and TVC is 79,4% of the TC. Obike has the highest values for TVC, T FC, and T C.

184

Table 2. Cost-return jprofitability) analysis of gari production (from cassava roots) in Umualumoke community in Okigwe LGA. Imo Stato. Valut:.... (1\ ai r..)

Pelt-CJl lage

Revenu e

Gari Ol:lP'" (Kg)

253

Uni t prict! (N /Kg) T UI:ai re vell ue

15 180

Co" Vari'lhle cost Cassava rOOL~

1000 1346 13160

Unit cuSt Cost of roo ts Grating an d prt'ss ing

Ot her processi ng operaf iOlls fuel (firewood) Dcw..uering bag

Total variable

C'o~ t

m'q

20 19

0.01 12.35 6.35

761)2

21.20

2170

6.83

0.15

25389

79.89

Fixed cost 19A

De prcci.1 t ion of process ing shed l' rdser fryer Ove n Sieve and frying paddle Conta iners and knives

Tor;!.\ cm t (TC)

0.D3

IJ.l G

- 10209

Gross margi n (G:Vkr R-TVC) Ker revenue (TR~TC )

- 16 60 1 0.'18:1

Benef1r-cost ratio

185

U.OO 0. 06

92 19.3 40 6254.1 6392 3 178 1

Oppor:u nic)' COS I of Clpital (2路1.5%) T 0,,1 r.xed 'OS[ (TFq

3.15

0.06 0.13 19.68 20.1 1 100.00

Table 3. Cost-return (profrtability) analysis of akpu mash production (from cassava roots) in selected communities in Okigwe LGA. Ime State.

C o mmu nities

Agbobu Value (Naiu)

Variables Revenu e .,

"A kpu l11:1sh U ni : price

T0 1<1:

(B:1~ im )

r{"v en Ue

Cost \!:lri abic CO~ ! C :Jssavl rOO ts (kg) Uil ir ( 0,[ COSt or foots O lh("r processing 0 r L'fil lions â&#x20AC;˘ Lahor - fe ~d i nG T ota l va riab le l'm t

Ogii

Pmtn12g(

20 650.0 13 000,0

Value (Naira)

P:rwmge

20 590 II 800

2,7H

1000 IG.7 16 700.0

2.51 0.01 42.42 0.00

1000 10.0 100 00.0

(,(,70.0 8010. 0 310 10. 0

10.9.'\

JO.12 79.79

8001 ,0 10 T~O.O 28721 ,0

79,88

0. 15

(1 .03 l7. ~ i

(1. 11 0 22 .26 29, 81

Fixed t:Ost B uck~' l s

%.7

0.25

53.0

Kn ivc:'s

28 .1)

O,Ll7

8, 0

0.0 2

77. 0 6.4 77 065 7951.6 39364.6

0 ,20 0 .02

85A 10.7 7078.4 7235.9 35959.9

0.21

B a~ i :l ~

lhgs O ppo rt ll nity (O.H of c;lpi ';'L1 (24.5%) Total fix.ed COst (TFC) T oral cos t (Te)

G:oss m;ugin (GM:TR-TVC )

Ncr revenue

(TR~TC)

Bendit - coSl r..uio

T h ~ gross m arg in

- IS 4 10.0 -26 364.6 0 .33, 1

19 .68 20.2 1

100.00

0,03

19.68 20. 12 100. 00

-16 924.0 - 21 159.9 0.328,1

,mu net rCVtnuc val ues ra nged from -N28-1 5 to N 13-13.'i, and - N73 42.5

-N 189R.3, res pect ivel),. Gari p ro duction enn: rprisc in these LGAs is not profitable at

th e level of prodllcti c'ln ll llderr::tken . Umu alumoke is t he on ly community in Okigwe LGA produc ing g.'lri in com mercial quantity. The tora l revenue is N 15 180, \" hile the to tal cust

of produc' ion is N 3 1 781.00 givi ng a net revenue of - N 16 601. COSt of roottubers alone is 42 .55% and ;j tota l v:triabl e cost of 79.89 % . The losses incurred in dli s commu nit y. du rill g Ihe prod llction of gnrj is vel)' high. CoSt returns analysis of I1kptl also showed a

186

remarkabl e loss. The losses are hi gher in Ogii than in Agbob u co mmunity. This is because o( the variati on in the unit cost of cassava roo ts (N 16.7 and N 10.0 in Agbobu and Ogii, re.!i pcctivdy) and hased o n the average nct revenue val ue of -N25 262.30. the emerprise is 11 0{ profitable at rhe present level of production. Other facrors such as bas ic infras tructure, nearn ess of a factory. educational insritution o r urban cemers a150 inlluence (he cost of productio n of cassava producrs. T he cause of these high losses may be attributed to the hi gh TVC o bserved in all the comm uni t ies. Th is can be reduced co nsiderably and the benefi t cost of gari improved if most of the processing operations are mechanized wilh machinery in simple forms, easily oper-Jted, mainra ined. and affordable. Use of m echanical presser was no r practiced in any of the comm unities. The use of heavy logs of wood, usually (ou r, in between which thegari bag is sa ndwiched befo re tying w ith ropes. is the usual merhod for dewatering th e cassava mash. Raffia m esh for breaking lip dcwa tered cassava is preferred to wire mesh. a mo te d urable and better maletial. T he use of affordable mechani cal fryers in place of the clay stove (wh ich is readily destroyed and which does no t prorect agains{ d irect hea t) can also be introduced . These semi-mechan ized processes have been practiced by Top Rank Foods in lIe-lfe (Osun State) . This food company produces gari for export. The cost ofland varied sli ghtly betwee n the different commu n iti es. T he value of a plot of land (50 by 10 0 ft ) depends mainly o n the distance to the nearest tarmac road. Plots located on the farm lands we re genera lly cheaper [han plo[s wilhin the residential area of the vi llage/community. The cost of a plot of land in Ohaj i/Egbema, Ngo r Okpala and Okigwe LGi\s ranges from N50-N 100, NI OO-N 140, an d N90-N 125 . respectively.

Sale of cassava and cassava produdS C lient s come fro m Owcni. Rivers Scate, Abia State an d other villages aroun d these LGAs (Q purchase cassava products . Both retail and wh olesale markets , exist for cassa va roots a t, d {he product in the state depending o n th e level and poim of sale (vi lbge/com muniry marker, LG1\ marker. and inrersrale markcr) . Accordi ng to thc vill agers. the usual sizto when sold as wholesale is a 50 ~ kg rice bag capacity.

Constraints to cassava processing All the co mm unities co nfirmed [hat the major co ns rra int in the process ing of gari is the ~(lu i pm (! nr . Givi ng the neceS.!iary ai d. processi ng meth ods will be accelera ted and the profit margin will consider3bl ), apprec iate. lvla rketing o f cassava and cassava produces is n Ol regarded :l!i.l constrai m. On ma rket days (eve ry four days), cl ien ts co me from fa r and nea r usually w ith lorries. buses, an d vans. Sales ;J re m ade in bas kers, heaps of bas kers, and also o n th e farm bnd ",路here the buyer does the harvest in g of a given porr ion for a specific am ount. In Ohaj i/ Egbcma LGA, \\'onhy bu yers are sometimes =t Ha we d to buy on c redit. In Ngo r Okpala LGA cassav;). price is cOllttoll ed by perm ittin g an i), o ne vill age ro market her cassava :md p rod ucts o n speci fi c market days. H owever, in Agbobu in Okigwc l.G A the In Jjor const raint is transportaTion of (he cassava tubers and the prod uct to th e marker. Some areas in lhis LG A a rc in accessible during the rain y season . In spite of aU rh ese constraints 187

the communities claimed to have a good margi n of profit sufficient to maintain the families and pay basic bills such as school fees.

Willingness to own a cassava processing plant

All the community groups claimed. to have fun ctional and registered associations. However, it was only at Amafor in Ohajil Egbcma that the comm unity leaders presented a ccnifica rc of registratio n of t heir associariol1, the Udokanma cooperative society. Ob ikwe in Ngor O kpl ala als o indi ca ted a strong cooperative society though no certificate was presenced. In all cases, fin anc ing th e processing plant throu gh acqu isitiun of a loan was gene rally aeeep led. Acco rding to each cOlllmuniry, readin ess to build a processing plant dep ends on the avai l路 ab ility of funds and work w ill commence as soo n Ihe co mm unity is given suHidcnc aid.

Plant o wnership preferences Etekwu ru and Am aro r (Ohaji/Egbema LGA). and Agbob u and Umualum okc (Okigwe LGA) agreed t ha t the cooperative socie ty will own the process ing plane while [wo of the communi ties in Ngo r Okpala (Obikwc and Obike) suggested that the pla nt will be owned by the comm unity. Ogii (Okigwe LGA). Obiti (O haji/Egbem a) . and N tu (Ngor Okpala) agreed that the communi ty will own the plant but an indiv idual. prefe rably th e Eze of the auto nomo us comm uni ty, will be di recdy responsible for the establishmen t .md run ning of the plant.

Availability of land and other supporting infrastructure All the nine com munities visited in the state claim to possess large contiguous farm land for cassava producti on an d for the processi ng plant. Wi ll ingness to give rhe lan d for this projecr was highly supported and the la nd ca n be acquired rrom any member of the co mmunity except wo men and youths who own land only by courtesy of the adu lt male (h usband and fa th er) in the family. his importanr ro nQ[e that rhe ex telH of cassava farm land in these communit ies was di fficu lt co estimate beca use of the frag me nted farm areas (though each co mmun ity desc ribed th is as mu lriples of acreage offarm la nd) generally cultivated. Ano ther major facto r is t he natu re of land te nure ownersh ip. About 70- 80% of the land is ow ned and manage d by me n who grow cassava and other root crops such as ya m for marketi ng and consumption wh ile the rest of the far m land is mana ged by women and grown up children who grow cassav;l as a cash crop. Consequen tl y, the success of a cassava processing pla nt in any of these co mmu ni ties may rest la rgely o n the establishm ent of la rge cassava farms wi th defined plant ing an d harvesting pe riods . T he basic inrrastm cture assessed includes road, transportation. electri city. wate r supply. commu nica1ion, and storage structure . All th e road li nks w ithi n the communities are earth . M ost road links in pla ces like Agbo bu (Okigwe LGA) suOe r from erosio n w hile the communit ies in Ngor Okpala have roads wit h deep wate r pools. Maintenance is u suaIJy by comm u nal effort and, depending on th e ean h , some are easjer to ma intain (han ot hers. Umll Jlumoke and Ogii com mun ir ies in Okigwe LGA have sro nylroc.ky an d strong eart h that re mai llsfi rmthroughtheyC.ar. The Ohaji/Egbema LGA has the privileged prese nce 188

of oil companies surveying underground crude oiL These companies comributed to the building and maintenance of the roads leading into these communities. However, roads wi,hin each comm uni ry suffer similar problems as observed in Ngor Okpala LGA. None of the co mmuni ties surveyed was found to be rorally inaccessible due to the very bad ro ads. A littl e repair and maintenance will make accessibility easy _for all the communities. The bicycle is the m ajor means of tran spo rra tio n in th ese comm unities and this is done with ease irrespective of th e state or nature of the roads. Goods may be -moved several times to a centrally loca ted market where c1iems converge with buses, lorries or vans to load the prodUCTS . All ,he co m m uni,ies are linked ro ,he national electricity grid (the poles with cables and in some places the nansformers are aJso available). However, on ly (wo (Ntu in NgorOkpala and Etckwuru in O hajil Egbema) h ave fun ctio nal electrici,y supply wh ich is q ui,e irregul ar and u nreli able. Stream \'路,.'ater is the only sou rce of water su pply. \'(Tells and private bo reho les are rare and onl y'aff6rdable by the very few rich individuals. In Ohaji/Egbema LGA where pu blic bo reh oles exist, a manual pumping syste m is used and in such instances the water level is neve r too decp ~ consequently water Rows well d ur ing the r.J.iny seaso ns and ceases in the dry seaso n . The only comme rc ial/private water borehole operated by the use of diesel engin e is a, N tu (Ngor O kpal. LGA). A 20-li,.r conta iner is sold for NS or N 10 depend ing on the season of th e year and it is only available (Q th e few who ca n afford [he luxury of borehole water and those whose reside ntial premjses are d ose to the borehole site. Communicatio n facil ities such as telecommunication s a re not available in mOSt of the villages . However GSM services are avail able in so me pans of Ngor Okpah LGA (Obike) and Okigwe LGA (Um ualumoke) , S,orage facilities for cassava tubers and prod ucts are no t available in any of the nine communities . Since cassava mbers have rapid postharvest dete rioration, processing inco th e various produC[s rarely exceeds demand for each m arket day.

Manag ement of cassava waste None of these commun ities ind ica ted any environmental problems that may be associated with cassava processi ng. T he waste water from the cassava mash is poured into th e stream or on the bare gro und away from farm land. while the cassava peels serve as animal feed or manure for plantain and banana.

Institutional and political support Financial institutio ns T he finan cial instit u tions fo und in the State are ban ks (commercial and merchant banks). T hey a re located in the state capital, with a few bran ches in major towns wi thin the state. T here was no ba nk in any of the communities vi si ted. However cooperative o rganiz.atio ns, some individu als) and grou ps in some of (he communities own and operate different acco unts with the banks , None of ,he groups has secured any bank loan for economi c activiti es due [Q lack of collateral. T he "modus operand i", services. a nd proced ures for granting loans by some of the banks are enumerated below:

[89

First Ba,,k ofNigeria Pic is located al Bank Road, Owerei. It renders [ull and complete commercial banking services to customers (indiv iduals. organiza tio ns erc.) , It grants loans/ credit to far mers and entrepreneurs for agricult ural activi fies (prod uc(i on. processing and marketing) and enterprise development. respectively. In add ition they provide co rporate social services ro their host commu nities. The.q~ include the provision of schob rships. sup-

port of sdf-help projecls elc. Presently the bank is in volved in the small-and mediu m-scale emerprise development scheme of the Federal Government under the supervisio n of rhe Central Bank of Nigeria (eBN). The procedure fo r securing a loan involves completion of a credit fo rm scaring rhe amo unt requi red. namre o f invesrmem, an d avai lable collateral. It operates un der Ihe CB N guide lines and charges an annual interest of 20-30% , usually determ ined by m arket forces. Loan repayment begins after six months or longer depending o n the invesrmenr projeci. Ag ricu ltu ral investment loans are usuall y expected to be repaid :as soon as the crops o r livcsrock are harvested or mature for sale. Ir provides training to beneficiaries (customers) on project management thro ugh (he agricultural department of

Ihe bank. In most cases (for agricultural loans) , the bank partakes in ,he ownership of ,he business by providing 40% of the capiral investment share. This is to en hance dose mo nitor-

<ng, and minimize business failure an d repayment difficulties. The bank is very willing to grant loans fo r the establishment of a cassava processing factory in any commu nity wi thin the sta te irrespective of product. It is mo re d ispos~ to dealing with .rc:giste["(:d groups such as coo perative o rga nizations than individuals . The maj or prob lem to advancing loans to

customers is beneficiaries' unwillingness to pay back (loan repayment default) .

Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB) PI, is located at Bank Road, Owerri. i< is ,he product of the former Nige ri an Agricul(Ural and Cooperarive Bank (NAC B) and rhe People's Bank of Nigeri a (PBN). It renclers normal com mercial banking services to irs cuswmers, with special bias and interest in supportin g agricu ltural development or enterprises at the rural le\路el. T wo kinds of credit schemes are available by rhe bank, viz micro- an d macrocredit. M icrocredir cov~rs grants o f between

N 1.00 and N250 000, while macrocredit involves grants ofN500 000 and above. Seekers of microcredi! must be an acco unt holder of the bank and would have operated such an acco unr for at least (WO month s before applying fo r a loan. A specific amount or credit balance is required in onc's acco unt for a given am o unt of loan . This depends on project

eype, for instance N I 0 000 is required fo r a N 100000 loan made in support of an arable crop producrion project. There is no collateral for mic rocred it. H owever,

{\\'O

needed to idenrif)r and vouch their truS! in the beneficiary'S ability

repay the loan. The

guaranto rs are

bank cha rges an an nual im erest rate of 8掳,..0 on microcredit. Funds are disbu rsed at once or

in bilS depending o n the project. Rep.yment is usually in bits depending o n the project. T rain ing is offered to beneficiaries , by experts within the bank. on project man agemem; mostly during fieldfsite visits and moniro ring act ividcs. Macrocreclit requi res the submissio n of a project or investment ptoposa l, provision of collate ral , and a minimum balance in the customer's account. Th e interesr cha. rged is usually grea ter (han that of m icrocred it an d depends on amount req uested and project undertaken . The bank is w illi ng to

rne

190

grant loans for the establishment of cassava processing plants in any community within the state irrespective of product produced. A major problem mi1itating against loan advance to customers by che bank is beneficiaries' unwillingness to repay their loans.

Union Bank o[Nigeria ric is situated at Douglas Road. Owerri. I t renders normal and full commercial banking services to cusmmers as well as meeting its corporate social responsibilities to hosl communities. Presently it runs a Civil Servants Agricultural Loan Scheme (CSALS). Th is involves smaH grants to civil servantS who receive their monthl y salaries and orher benefirs through Union Bank. The procedure in\'o]ves the completion of an

application form. project appraisal by the agricul tural expertS within the banks, approval, and eventml disbursement. The bank is also in volved in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprise Development Scheme of the Federal Government of Nigeria. The bank charges an annual imerest of 19%. Loan funds arc disbursed at once and usually repaid after 12

months depending on the project. Agricultural officers in the bank ap praise the project Ol.IlJ

train beneficia.ries on project management. [nvestment is carefully mon irored through

periodic site visits by Slaff of the ban k. The bank is willing

support or lend money for

the esrab lishmem of any cassava processing plant anywhere within the state irrespecrive of the producr. Hov.:ever, the sponsoring insdrudon or establishment is expected to guaranree

such loan advances. Any project can be supported willingly by the bank. The only problem encou mered is beneficiaries' unwill in gness ro repay borrowed funds; leading to huge ba.d

debt.

Equipment fabricators Two major fabricators were interviewed in O\'..路~rri lmo state; Victor Osuoha and Chi bu

Elekansi. Vieror Osuoha of No. 7 Mbaonu Ojike Street Ikenegbu has a range of machines and equipm ent fabrjcared for individuals, govern ment , and nongovernm ental organization s. Amongst thi s range of machine and equipment are the cassava. peeler. cassava grater. hammer mi ll, curb press. sieving machine, stainless gar; fryer (manually operated), tube fryer for gari (electrically operated), and chipping mach ine. Other agro-allied equipment includ e rhe grai n processing equipment. palm oil processing equipment. baking ovens. drum d ryers. sp ray dryers. ho t air dryers, and turbo mill.

Victor OSlioha has been a longscand ing fabricator qf food processin g and other industrial mach in es. His trade name is Vico-Afro Metal Fabrication Company NIG LTD . He is fu lly eJ:lgaged il.1 the installation and maintenance of f00d processing machines and other equipmem. His major consU"Jints are low demand. fi nance, and difficulty in getting a vari-

able spe<d reducing machine which can enhance his productivity. Chibu Elekanasi is th e second maj or fabri cator with tra de name Natural Skill Research and Development Company. His workshop is at No.2 Item Street Ikenegbu Owerri. His ran ge of equipment includes the cassava peeler, stainless grater wit h fiber roror, hydraulic dewatering press, stainless mechanized gari fryer. hot air dryer (for cassava chips), cassava

chipping machi ne. rotary dryer, and cabinet dryer. C hibu Elekanasi is also fully engaged 191

in the after sales services for his customers and has local mai nre na ncelrepair capab il ities of any Olher equip me nt. Apart from fina nce, accommodation for a bigger production

sire is a major consrrainr. O ther fabri c.mrs located at Amafor are Godwi n Umunnakwe . nd Jonathan OnwlIka. T hey are mainly co ncerned wirh th e repa lr and mainte nance of mac hines and equ ipmenr at the

village level. T hey are also engaged in ,he fabricarion of small ho usehold eq uipment such as knives and hoes . Their majo r co nstraints are poor fi nance and electricity supp ly.

192

Observations, conclusion, and recommendation Selection of prioritized sites and products Communities with the highest percentage in N gor Okpala, Ohaji/Egbema, and Okigwe were Nru (68%), Etekwuru (80%), and Agbobu (64%), respectively (Appendix lIJ). The selec ri on of cassava prod uce for SM E was based on [he highcs( number of commun ities choosing;l particular product in the LGA. In N go r Okpala [wo of [he three communi ties selected both gari and cassava flour. Cassava flour was co nsi de red as the Srv1E product for this LGA because the community Ntu, that had th e hi ghest rating score selected cassava flour. In Ohaji/Egbema cassava flo ur was selected by all rhree communities. Ar Okigwe LGA starch was preferrcc..l by two of the three communities. Overall. two products were selected, cassava flo ur for Ngor Okpala and OhajilEgbema while Okigwe LGA selected starch for rhe SME project.

Conclusion and recommendations Postharvest ut iliza tion of cassava tubers is very limited to a few productS . Garj being the most imponant is produced fo r borh domestic and commercial use. Assessment of Ihe income generated from its sales showed that its productio n is nol profitable at the prescm level of production. ~ owever improved processing technology may enhance the income. The establishment of an SME project appeared feasible from rhe response to the questionnaire. All the communiti es showed a Strong willi ngness to acquire a loan to build the SME plant. Avai lability of farm la nd and plant si.e will also be readily available. Even though basic infrastructure, electricity. potable water, and a good access road were lacking in most of these communities the presence of a profitable SME planr may encourage the Federal or State government to improve (he state of these' basic amenities. Banks are the only available sou rce of financial suppOrt in fmo Stare. All the banks imerviewcd showed willingness lO supporr (his project. No major fabr icato r was identified in lhe communi ties, some were found in Owerri. (he stare capital. AU the fabricators provided evidence of previous machines fCibriC3[C'd for processing of cassava w bers inlO profitable products. The esrablishm em of an SME plant for cassava nour and starch prod uction is a feasible venture in lmo Srale. The information generalcd from th e survey should be used to design action programs for the SME project. There is strong evidence .hat rhe project wi lt succeed and will serve as a model for a larger scale enterprise.

193

Appendix 1 Cost-return (profitability) analysis of gori production (from cassava tubers) in selected communities of OhajilEgbema LGA, 1100 State.

Etekwuru V~ l uc

(N)

O biti

Y,ju, (N)

Amafol

V,lu, (N)

Revc:nue:

Gari Ou t r U( (kg) Unil price Total revenue: (TR)

253.2 24.50 6203 .4

1;3.2

253.2 49.0 12 406.8

76.3 193 19.2

1000.0 10.5 10 500 960 8?GO i68 48 21236

1000.0 19.25 19250 1280 7680 3200 48 31 458

Co" Vuiablc: con (VC) ~sav.t

Un it

Illbcrs (kg)

CO St

Con of lubers Gr.ning 0 rhn processing operations

Fuel [fi rewood l Dewatering bag Total variable coS[ {TVC] Fixed cost [Fe! PresStt

9.80

Fryer

40.

Oven

Sieve + fryi ng paddl e Co hfai nclS and knive s

Proccssing shed Opportuni? rost OfUlp"tRl (24.596) TOlalfl.Xrd aut (TFC) T (Jtal cost fT C - TFC +

3.20 2.70 46.0 40.0 5237.5 S379.2

7VC/

Gross margin (GM ., T R - TVCJ

Net reven ue: {TR - l e I Bc nefi t-<O~ I m io ITRfTC]

39.5 3.6 33.7 2.9 0.2 79.8

.04 . 15 .0 1 .0 1 . 17 .1 5 19.7 20.2

26 6 1).2 -8829 .2 - 14 208.4 0.47: 1

194

2 1.30 40. 4.80 ! .60 46.0 24.0 7733.60 784 1.3 39299.3

1000 .0 7.70 49.0 3.3 19.5 8.1 0. 1 80.0

.05 . 10 .0 1 .00 .12

.06 19.7 20.0

noo.a 1280 7680 2560 48 192(,8

32.70 100. 4.80 1.60 60.0 30.0 4776. 8 5005 .9 24273.9

-1 2 1 38.8

-1 3064.6

- 19980.1 0.49, I

- 18070.5 0.26 , I

.'31.7 5.3 31.6 10.6 0.20 79.4

. 14 .4 1 .02 .01 .25 . 12 19.7 20.6

Appendix 2 Cost-return (profitability. analysis of gari production (from cassava tubers) in sel ected communities of Ngor/Okpala LGA, Irno State.

Obiko:; V,lue (N)

Nou

Ohikwc

'Yo

Value (N)

0/0

Value (N)

0/0

Revenue

Gari

OUtput

(kg)

Unit price Tota l revenue (TR)

253.2 57.20 14 483.0

253.2 54.50 13799.4

253.2 54.50 13 799.4

1000.0 4.80 4800 960 10 240 1280 48 17326

1000.0 6.20 6200 768 4.480 960 48 12456

1000.0 5.80 5800

CDS(

T ataI variable cost (lVC) u5savil rubcrs (kg) U nit

COSt

of tubers Grating Other proccning opcfu iom

COSt

Fuei lfircwoodJ D~ l c rjn g

ba.g

Tota l va riable

COS I

(TVC)

Fixed (:031 Pr('Sst"r

Fryer Oven Sieve

fry ing paddk and knives

CO n l;\ jn c:~

Processing shl!d Opportunity cost ofcap ital (24.5 %) Total jix_d eM (TFC) Total cost f TC - TFC + 1VC) Grou margin IT R - TVC}

NC't

n: \'cn u c=

ITR - ICJ

Bcndit-coSl r'll io

30 7.90 6 1.60 60.0 30.0 13.0 4295.0 4497.5 2 1 825.5 -2845. -7342.50 0.66, I

195

22.0 4.4 46.9 5.9 0.2 76.4

0.14 .04 .28 .28 . 14 .06 19. 7 20.6

39.5 4.9 28.5 6. 1 0.3 76.4

30. . 19 9.40 .06 . I(J 15.40 60.0 .38 28.0 . 18 .06 9.80 3089.1 19 .7 324 1.7 20.6 15679.7 1343.4 -18908.3 0.88, I

%0 7040 960 48 14 808

30 . 3.20 17.00 60.00 40.00 9.80 3667 .2 3827.2 18635.2 - 1008. 6 -4835.8 0.74, I

31.1 5.2 37.8 5.2 0.3 76.5

.16 .0 2 .09 .33 .22 .05 19.68 20.5

Appendix 3 Score sheet of the communities for the establishment of SME project. Ngor Okpala Community

Okigwe

Oh.jilEgbcm' Etck'MJru Obiei Amolfor

Obike O bikwc Nru

Agbobu Umualum oke Ogii

Criteria

AbC' of m:lIurc unnarvcS{ed lub~ rs

Ex i5lencc of :In associalion or cooperativC' society

Source for casnv:I

proccumg

OW!lcnhip o f C;US.:1va

CoSt

pbnt

or plot

ofland (50. by I 00

r,)

2 3 2

Roacllype Ell!'ctriciry supply Communic.uion

Fa bricators

2 0 0

Profiubil ilY I

scart: 44% Overall r.ning 3,J within (,:Ieh LGA

64%

68%

80%

48%

68%

60\%

60%

52%

3,J

2""

(Beneflt-cOSf nll io)

Total score PC'rcenta~

2'"

About IITA The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA, www.iita.org) is an Africa-based international research-for-development organization, established in 1967, and governed by a board of trustees. Our vision is to be Africa's leading research partner in finding solutions for hunger and poverty. We have more than 100 international scientists based in various IITA stations across Africa. This network of scientists is dedicated to the development of technologies that reduce producer ond consumer risk, increase local production, and generate wealth. We are supported primarily by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, www.cgiar.org).