Judith Lungu
22 December 2005
analysis
Lusaka — Famine is being experienced in many parts of Zambia. In my home village Msoro, all mangoes were harvested while still green and used for food. My father's mango trees attracted scores of people who cleared them early in the season.
People are still wondering how they will survive until the pumpkins save them. Thanks to food aid efforts that have provided them with peas and other food stuffs, the people in that area are still alive. The country has continued to rely on food aid year after year. Moreover, food aid NGOs grow faster than developmental NGOs in this country.
The newspapers continue to inform the public on the plight of people in various parts of Zambia. The cause of the famine is always quoted as drought that was experienced last season. The lack of irrigation facilities has been recognised as contributing to this famine.
But lack of irrigation is not the only cause of low productivity. Lack of good seed, lack of fertiliser, low soil fertility, poor crop management and poor post-harvest management are some of the causes of low productivity and famine. Presence of irrigation facilities will not automatically remove famine from smallholders. Many times the FAO representative has questioned Zambians why they do not take up cassava as a food crop as West Africans have done. After experiencing this year's famine, it is an opportune time for Zambians in many provinces other than the Northern Province which depends on cassava, to start looking at cassava as something that can be a staple food rather than a snack only. Slowly, many Zambians will come to appreciate cassava.
With cassava in the ground, the famine caused by drought or lack of inputs would be less severe for many small holders. The market, through the Food Reserve Agency, is available and that should be an incentive to production of cassava for commercial purposes. However, having food all year round should be enough incentive for smallholders.
Cassava is a perennial shrub with an edible root. It grows in many areas of Zambia. Cassava can grow on marginal lands where maize and other crops do not grow well. It can tolerate drought and can grow in low-nutrient soils. Because cassava roots can be stored in the ground for up to 24 months, and some varieties for up to 36 months, harvest can be delayed until market, processing, famine or other conditions are favourable.
Cassava provides human food as a source of dietary energy, is used for production of animal feed and other starch-based products. Roots can be processed into granules, pastes, flours, etc., or consumed freshly boiled or raw while leaves are consumed as a green vegetable, which provides protein and vitamins A and B. Cassava starch is used as a binding agent, in the production of paper and textiles, and as monosodium glutamate, an important flavouring agent in Asian cooking. Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world. The average yield of cassava in Nigeria is about 10.6 tonnes per hectare. Impact studies have revealed that in Nigeria the introduction of improved cassava varieties has provided food for 50 million people. Zambia has only 10 million people.
Cassava can be grown singly or intercropped with crops. Although fertiliser can be applied to increase productivity, cassava is grown without fertiliser application. Roots can be harvested between six months and three years after planting.
The major pests of cassava are the cassava green mite, the cassava mealybug, and the variegated grasshopper. The main diseases affecting cassava are cassava mosaic disease, cassava bacterial blight, cassava anthracnose disease, and root rot. These together with poor cultural practices cause high yield losses that may be as high as 50 per cent.
Improved cassava varieties that are disease and pest resistant, low in cyanide content, drought resistant, early maturing, and high yielding, good cooking quality have been developed and research is continuing. Varieties with resistance to the major diseases give higher yields of about 50 per cent more than the local varieties. Through the introduction of natural enemies, there has been a reduction in cassava mealybug damage and damage caused by the cassava green mite.
Many cassava varieties contain cyanides which are poisonous. Inadequate processing can lead to chronic toxicity. Various processing methods are used such as grating, sun drying, and fermenting. These reduce the cyanide content. Cyanide is also removed from leaves used for vegetables through crushing and cooking for long periods.
The production of cassava is dependent on a supply of good quality stem cuttings. The multiplication rate of these vegetative planting materials is unfortunately very low compared to grain crops, which are propagated by seeds. About 10 planting stakes can be gotten from a parent plant. In addition, cassava stem cuttings are bulky, and highly perishable as they dry up within a few days. But the field can be expanded using cuttings from each harvest.
Research has developed techniques to make two-node cuttings or ministakes that can make 50 plants from each parent cassava. These ministakes are moved and protected in plastic sacks until they can be grown on nursery beds before being planted in the field. Farmers can try experimenting with different methods. After all farmers are best scientists.
As a root crop, cassava requires considerable labour to harvest. Because they are highly perishable, roots must be processed into a storable form soon after harvest. Scientists have been developing simple machines and tools to reduce processing time and labour, as well as production losses.
This is a good time to plant cassava cuttings for they will soon sprout with the rains. Depending on the variety, they will be harvested at a time they are required.
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