Dar Es Salaam — CASSAVA production continues to be threatened by the spread of diseases which has immediate and far-reaching impacts on food security and supply in the African region.

The remarks were made in Dar es Salaam today during the ongoing Regional Workshop on Cassava Diseases in Africa: A Major Threat to Food Security which has been organized by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Director of Food Security in the Ministry for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr John Mgodo, said that the habit of sharing of planting materials among farmers has been contributing tremendously in the spread of cassava diseases in the region.

He said that cassava was the second most cultivated staple food in the country and that with the ongoing climate change, events of little or no rain, it will soon surpass maize as the main staple food, hence the need to address the issues of disease control.

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) is one of the most serious and widespread diseases throughout cassava growing areas in Africa, causing yield reductions of up to 90 per cent.

He said that the workshop has come at the right time when there is need for collective efforts to address the increasing spread of cassava diseases which were now causing a serious threat to national food security as well as hindering economic development.

"Cassava development through disease control is the best way forward to address the ever decreasing cassava productions by finding ways to curb the spread of the cassava diseases," he said.

He said that the government was putting much emphasis on research to see how it could curb the spread of the diseases and increase cassava production.

FAO has prepared a new 15-country, five-year programme framework for addressing cassava diseases in central, eastern and southern Africa.

The framework provides a road map for projects in five major areas which are deployment of new and improved cassava varieties and clean and disease-free planting materials; communication; coordination; farmer education; and surveillance.

He said that cassava could help protect the food and energy security of poor countries now threatened by soaring food and oil prices if well utilized.

Mr Mgondo called for a significant increase in investment in research and development needed to boost farmers' yields and explore promising industrial uses of cassava, including production of biofuels.