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How To Start A Lucrative Cassava Farming Business In Nigeria And Africa: The Complete Guide

Cassava farming is one of the major agricultural practices in Nigeria, as the crop is a staple food for millions of people in the country. Cassava is a tropical crop that is well-suited to the climate and soil conditions in Nigeria, and it is grown in all parts of the country. Nigeria is one of the largest cassava producers in the world, with an estimated production of over 54 million metric tons in 2020.

The importance of cassava farming in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, as the crop is not only a major source of food but also a source of income for millions of farmers and other stakeholders along the value chain. Cassava is a versatile crop that can be processed into various products such as garri, fufu, starch, flour, and animal feed, among others. The crop is also a major source of raw material for the production of ethanol and other industrial products.

In recent years, the Nigerian government has made efforts to promote cassava farming as a means of diversifying the economy and reducing the country’s dependence on oil. The government has also initiated policies and programs aimed at increasing cassava production and improving the quality of the crop. Additionally, the poultry industry in Nigeria has provided a market for cassava products such as cassava peel meal and cassava chips, which are used as feed for poultry.

Despite the numerous benefits of cassava farming in Nigeria, the sector is faced with several challenges, including inadequate funding, low yields, and lack of access to modern farming technologies. However, with the right support from the government and other stakeholders, cassava farming in Nigeria has the potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economy and improve the livelihoods of millions of people.

If you’re looking for an agricultural business that would ensure you always almost sell out all your harvests, cassava farming is one great farming business to start.

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What Is Cassava?

Cassava, scientifically known as Manihot esculenta, is a starchy root vegetable that is widely grown and consumed in Nigeria and Africa. It is an important staple crop that is used in many traditional dishes and also serves as a source of income for many small-scale farmers.

What Is Cassava Farming In Nigeria and Africa About?

Cassava farming is the cultivation of cassava plants for food, feed, and industrial uses. Cassava is an important crop in Nigeria and many other countries in the tropical regions of the world. It is a starchy root vegetable that is rich in carbohydrates and a good source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Cassava farming has become a major agricultural enterprise in Nigeria due to the numerous benefits and business opportunities it offers. The crop is used for various purposes such as food, animal feed, alcohol production, starch production, and biofuel production. Cassava farming is an important source of livelihood for millions of farmers in Nigeria, and it has the potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth and development.

Benefits of Cassava Farming In Nigeria  and Africa

Cassava farming is an important economic activity in Nigeria and across Africa, providing a range of benefits to farmers, consumers, and the wider economy. Here are 10 benefits of cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa:

• Food security: Cassava is a staple food crop in many African countries and is a reliable source of food for millions of people.
• Income generation: Cassava farming is an important source of income for smallholder farmers, providing employment and income opportunities for rural communities.
• Drought resistance: Cassava is drought-resistant and can grow in marginal environments, making it an important crop for food security in regions with unpredictable rainfall.
• Soil fertility: Cassava farming can improve soil fertility, as the crop has a deep root system that can break up compacted soils and increase soil organic matter.
• Climate resilience: Cassava is an important crop for climate resilience, as it can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and is resistant to pests and diseases.
• Nutritional value: Cassava is a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and is an important food source for vulnerable populations.
• Industrial applications: Cassava can be processed into a range of industrial products, including starch, ethanol, and animal feed, providing additional income streams for farmers.
• Export opportunities: Cassava products are in high demand in international markets, providing export opportunities for farmers and processors.
• Gender empowerment: Cassava farming can provide opportunities for women and girls to participate in agriculture and generate income.
• Reduced poverty: Cassava farming can help reduce poverty and improve livelihoods, particularly in rural communities where other economic opportunities may be limited.

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Health Benefits of Cassava

Cassava is a starchy root vegetable that is widely cultivated and consumed in Nigeria and Africa. Here are 15 health benefits of cassava:

• Good source of energy: Cassava is a rich source of carbohydrates, which makes it an excellent source of energy for the body.
• Helps in digestion: Cassava is rich in dietary fiber, which helps in promoting healthy digestion and prevents constipation.
• Lowers cholesterol levels: Cassava contains compounds that help in reducing bad cholesterol levels in the body, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Good for the immune system: Cassava is rich in vitamin C, which helps in boosting the immune system and protecting the body against infections.
• Improves brain function: Cassava contains vitamin B6, which helps in improving brain function and reducing the risk of cognitive decline.
• Rich in minerals: Cassava is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are essential for maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and nerve function.
• Helps in weight management: Cassava is low in calories and fat, making it an excellent food for those trying to manage their weight.
• Reduces inflammation: Cassava contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties, which help in reducing inflammation in the body.
• Good for the skin: Cassava is rich in vitamin C, which helps in promoting healthy skin and reducing the risk of skin damage.
• Helps in treating diarrhea: Cassava contains compounds that have anti-diarrheal properties, making it an effective treatment for diarrhea.
• Rich in antioxidants: Cassava is rich in antioxidants, which help in reducing oxidative stress and preventing cell damage.
• Promotes healthy blood circulation: Cassava contains compounds that help in improving blood circulation, which is essential for maintaining good health.
• Good for the eyes: Cassava is rich in vitamin A, which helps in promoting healthy eyes and reducing the risk of eye diseases.
• Good for the heart: Cassava contains compounds that help in reducing the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow.
• Helps in treating arthritis: Cassava contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties, making it an effective treatment for arthritis.

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Business Opportunities In Cassava Farming In Nigeria and Africa

Sure, here are 10 business opportunities of cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa:

• Cassava Processing: There is a high demand for processed cassava products such as flour, starch, and chips, which are used in various industries, including food, textile, and paper. This presents a significant opportunity for cassava farmers to venture into cassava processing.
• Animal Feed Production: Cassava is an important ingredient in animal feed production, particularly for poultry, pigs, and fish. Cassava farmers can earn additional income by selling cassava peels and other by-products to animal feed manufacturers.
• Biofuel Production: Cassava is a rich source of starch, which can be converted into biofuel. This presents a significant business opportunity for cassava farmers to supply raw materials to biofuel producers.
• Ethanol Production: The demand for ethanol as a fuel additive is increasing, and cassava is a viable source of ethanol production. Cassava farmers can supply ethanol producers with the raw material.
• Textile Production: Cassava fibers can be processed into textiles, presenting an opportunity for cassava farmers to enter the textile industry.
• Cassava Flour Production: Cassava flour is an alternative to wheat flour and is used in various food products. Cassava farmers can process their cassava tubers into flour for sale.
• Alcohol Production: Cassava can be fermented to produce alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine. Cassava farmers can venture into alcohol production as a value-added business.
• Medicine Production: Cassava has medicinal properties and is used in the production of various drugs. Cassava farmers can supply cassava roots to pharmaceutical companies.
• Cassava Chips Production: Cassava chips are a popular snack and can be processed and packaged for sale. Cassava farmers can add value to their cassava harvest by producing and selling chips.
• Export: The demand for cassava products is high in other African countries and beyond, presenting a great opportunity for cassava farmers to export their products and earn foreign exchange.

These are just a few examples of the business opportunities available in cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa. With the right resources and expertise, cassava farming can be a profitable business venture.

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Facts about cassava farming in nigeria and africa.

here are 20 facts about cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa:

• Cassava is one of the most important food crops in Nigeria and Africa, providing food and income for millions of people.
• Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, accounting for about 20% of global production.
• Cassava is a drought-tolerant crop that can grow in a wide range of soils and climatic conditions, making it an important crop for smallholder farmers in Africa.
• Cassava can be processed into a variety of products, including flour, starch, and ethanol.
• Cassava is a rich source of carbohydrates, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals, making it an important part of a balanced diet.
• Cassava is also an important feed crop for livestock, particularly for poultry and pigs.
• Cassava farming is an important source of income for smallholder farmers, particularly women, who make up a significant portion of cassava farmers in Africa.
• The processing and marketing of cassava products also provides employment opportunities for people along the value chain.
• The cassava value chain in Nigeria and Africa is often characterized by low productivity and limited access to markets, posing challenges for smallholder farmers.
• There are ongoing efforts to improve the productivity and profitability of cassava farming in Africa through research and development of new varieties and technologies.
• Cassava farming has a low environmental impact, as it requires less water and fertilizer than other crops and can help to improve soil quality.
• The leaves of the cassava plant are also edible and can be used to make nutritious vegetable dishes.
• Cassava is an important food security crop, particularly during times of drought and other climate shocks.
• In addition to food and income, cassava farming can also provide social benefits, such as community building and cultural preservation.
• The global market for cassava products is growing, particularly for ethanol, which is used as a biofuel.
• Cassava is a versatile crop that can be grown in a variety of systems, including intercropping and agroforestry.
• The use of improved cassava varieties and good agricultural practices can help to increase yields and improve the quality of cassava products.
• Cassava farming can contribute to sustainable development in Africa, particularly through its potential to support smallholder livelihoods and food security.
• Cassava is also an important crop for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, as it can help to address malnutrition and other health challenges.
• There are ongoing efforts to promote the development of cassava value chains in Africa, including through policy and investment support.

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Types Of Cassava Farming In Nigeria and Africa

Cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa can be broadly classified into two types: subsistence and commercial farming.

Subsistence cassava farming is practiced by small-scale farmers who cultivate cassava mainly for household consumption or for sale at the local markets. The farms are generally small in size, with low input and output, and mostly rain-fed. Farmers use traditional and manual methods for planting, harvesting and processing cassava.

Commercial cassava farming, on the other hand, involves large-scale cultivation of cassava for sale to the industrial market. The farms are often mechanized, with high input and output. Commercial cassava farming also involves the use of improved and hybrid cassava varieties, as well as modern agricultural practices such as irrigation, fertilizer application, and pest and disease management. The crops are sold to processing companies for the production of various products such as garri, flour, starch, and animal feed.

Apart from these two types, there are also other forms of cassava farming such as intercropping, where cassava is grown alongside other crops, and organic cassava farming, where no synthetic chemicals are used in the cultivation process.

Types Of Cassavas In Nigeria and Africa

There are various types of cassava grown in Nigeria and Africa. Some of the common types of cassava include:

• TMS 30572: This is a high-yielding cassava variety that is resistant to pests and diseases. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TME 419: This variety is known for its high yield, good taste, and fast maturity. It is mostly grown in Nigeria, Uganda, and other East African countries.
• TMS 98/0581: This is a variety of cassava that is resistant to pests and diseases. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 98/0505: This is a variety of cassava that is high-yielding and has good nutritional value. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 4(2) 1425: This is a variety of cassava that is resistant to pests and diseases. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 30555: This is a variety of cassava that is high-yielding and has good nutritional value. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 92/0326: This is a variety of cassava that is resistant to pests and diseases. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 92/0057: This is a variety of cassava that is high-yielding and has good nutritional value. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 96/1414: This is a variety of cassava that is resistant to pests and diseases. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.
• TMS 92/0067: This is a variety of cassava that is high-yielding and has good nutritional value. It is mostly grown in Nigeria and other West African countries.

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The Planting & Harvesting Seasons For Cassava In Nigeria and Africa

The planting and harvest seasons for cassava in Nigeria and Africa vary depending on the region and climate. Generally, cassava is planted in Nigeria and Africa in the rainy season, which typically starts in March and ends in October. The best planting time for cassava is in the early rainy season when the soil is moist enough to support germination and growth.

The harvest season for cassava usually starts six to twelve months after planting, depending on the variety and climate. In Nigeria and Africa, cassava is typically harvested from October to December, during the dry season, when the tubers are fully matured and ready for processing. Cassava can be harvested by hand or using machines such as harvesters and diggers. After harvest, the cassava roots are processed into various products such as garri, fufu, and starch.

How To Start Cassava Farming In Nigeria: Step-By-Step Guide

here’s a guide on how to start cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa:

• Conduct research and feasibility study: Before venturing into cassava farming, it is important to research and study the crop to understand its demands, market value, and potential profit margins. Identify the best planting season and varieties suitable for the soil type in your area.
• Acquire a farmland: Once you have conducted your research, secure a farmland suitable for cassava farming. The soil must be well-drained and not waterlogged.
• Prepare the land: Clear the land and make ridges or mounds for planting. You can use machines or employ manual labor.
• Get quality cassava stems: Buy high-quality stems from reliable sources. Avoid stems that have been affected by pests or diseases.
• Planting: Cut the stems into pieces and plant them in the ridges, ensuring they are not too deep in the soil. Plant during the rainy season and ensure the soil is moist.
• Maintain the farm: Weed the farm regularly and apply fertilizer as required. Also, ensure the farm is well-drained and watered when necessary.
• Harvesting: Harvest cassava between 8-12 months of planting. Ensure you harvest only mature cassava as immature ones may not have reached their potential yield.
• Processing: After harvesting, you can process the cassava into various products such as garri, fufu, tapioca, starch, and flour.
• Marketing: Market your cassava products to various buyers, including local markets, processing companies, and exporters.
• Continuously improve: Continuously look for ways to improve the farm’s productivity and profitability. Attend seminars and workshops on modern farming techniques and technologies.

By following these steps, you can start a successful cassava farming business in Nigeria and Africa.

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How To Process & Package Cassava In Nigeria or Africa

The following are the step-by-step guide on how to process and package cassava in Nigeria and Africa:

• Harvesting: Cassava is ready for harvest 9-12 months after planting, depending on the variety. To harvest, the farmer uses a machete or hoe to cut the stem of the cassava plant, leaving the tubers in the ground.
• Washing and peeling: After harvesting, the cassava tubers are washed to remove dirt and other impurities. The tubers are then peeled with a sharp knife or cassava peeling machine to remove the outer brown layer.
• Grating: The peeled cassava is grated with a grater or a cassava processing machine. This process is important to break down the cassava into smaller pieces for easier processing.
• Pressing: The grated cassava is placed in a hydraulic press or a manual press to remove excess water. This process is important to reduce the water content in the cassava, making it easier to process and package.
• Drying: The pressed cassava is spread on a flat surface to dry under the sun or in a drying machine. This process helps to reduce the moisture content of the cassava, making it suitable for processing into different products.
• Milling: The dried cassava is milled into flour using a milling machine. The flour can be used to make different cassava-based products like garri, fufu, and tapioca.
• Packaging: The cassava flour is packaged in airtight bags or containers to preserve its freshness and prevent contamination.
• Storage and distribution: The packaged cassava flour is stored in a cool and dry place to prevent spoilage. The cassava flour can be distributed to different markets and sold to consumers.

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Types Of Equipment & Tools Used In The Cassava Farming Business In Nigeria or Africa

• Cassava peeling machine: This machine is used to remove the outer brown skin of the cassava before further processing. It is designed to save time and labor while improving the quality of the finished product.
• Cassava washing machine: This machine is used to wash and clean the peeled cassava before further processing. It helps to remove dirt, sand, and other impurities from the cassava.
• Cassava grating machine: This machine is used to grate the cassava into smaller pieces or mash. It can also be used for the production of garri, fufu, and other cassava-based products.
• Cassava dewatering machine: This machine is used to remove excess water from the grated cassava. It is a crucial step in the production of cassava flour and starch.
• Cassava flour milling machine: This machine is used to mill the dried cassava chips into flour. It can also be used for the production of garri.
• Cassava starch extraction machine: This machine is used to extract starch from the cassava pulp. It involves a process of washing, crushing, and sieving the cassava pulp to separate the starch from the fibers.
• Cassava flour sifting machine: This machine is used to sieve the cassava flour to remove lumps and impurities.
• Cassava packing machine: This machine is used to package the finished cassava flour or other cassava-based products. It can be manual or automatic, depending on the scale of production.

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Target Market For The Cassava Farming Business In Nigeria or Africa

• Food Industry: Cassava products such as garri, fufu, and tapioca are staple foods in many parts of Nigeria and Africa. These products have a ready market in urban and rural areas, where they are consumed as a substitute for rice, yam, and other starchy foods. Cassava flour and starch are also used as ingredients in the production of various food products, such as bread, biscuits, and noodles.
• Livestock Feed Industry: Cassava leaves and peels are a good source of animal feed, especially for pigs and poultry. Cassava meal, a by-product of cassava processing, is also used as a feed ingredient for livestock. The demand for cassava-based animal feed is expected to increase as the livestock industry in Nigeria and Africa continues to grow.
• Industrial Applications: Cassava starch is used in various industrial applications, such as paper, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. The demand for cassava starch is expected to grow as these industries expand in Nigeria and Africa.
• Export Market: Cassava products such as garri, fufu, and tapioca have a significant demand in the international market, especially in the Caribbean, South America, and Asia. Nigeria is one of the leading exporters of cassava products in the world, and there is a growing opportunity for other African countries to tap into this market.

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How To Sell or Market Cassava Products In Nigeria or Africa

Here are 10 ways to sell or market cassava products in Nigeria and Africa:

• Local markets: Sell your cassava products, such as garri, fufu, and tapioca, at local markets in your area. This is an effective way to reach your target customers who prefer fresh, locally produced food.
• Online marketplaces: You can also sell your cassava products on online marketplaces like Jumia, Konga, and Amazon. This allows you to reach customers beyond your local area and grow your customer base.
• Supermarkets and grocery stores: Partner with supermarkets and grocery stores to stock your cassava products on their shelves. This will give your products more visibility and make them accessible to a wider range of customers.
• Export: Exporting cassava products is a lucrative business opportunity, particularly to countries like China and Europe, where there is high demand for cassava products. You can sell your cassava products through export companies or directly to international buyers.
• Food processing companies: Partner with food processing companies that use cassava as an ingredient in their products. This can provide a steady market for your cassava and ensure that your products are used in higher-value products.
• Direct to consumer delivery: Offer direct to consumer delivery of your cassava products. Customers can place orders on your website or social media pages, and you can deliver the products to their doorstep.
• Restaurants and food vendors: Partner with restaurants and food vendors to supply them with your cassava products. This can provide a steady market and increase the visibility of your products.
• Catering services: Partner with catering services to supply them with your cassava products for events and parties. This can provide a consistent stream of revenue for your business.
• Cooperative societies: Join cooperative societies to access a wider market for your cassava products. These societies can provide a platform for networking, learning, and marketing your products to a wider audience.
• Advertise on social media: Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to advertise your cassava products. Social media is a powerful tool for reaching a wider audience and generating leads for your business.

Challenges Of Cassava Farming In Nigeria and Africa

Cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa is an important agricultural activity that provides income and sustenance for many smallholder farmers. However, like any other agricultural enterprise, cassava farming comes with its own set of challenges. Here are 15 challenges that cassava farmers in Nigeria and Africa may face:

• Pest and disease management: Cassava is susceptible to pests and diseases, which can significantly reduce yields.
• Lack of access to quality seeds: Quality seeds are crucial for a successful cassava farm, but many farmers may not have access to them.
• Climate change: Changes in rainfall patterns, temperature, and extreme weather events can negatively impact cassava production.
• Limited access to credit: Many smallholder farmers may not have access to credit to purchase inputs or invest in their farms.
• Poor soil quality: Cassava requires well-draining, fertile soil to grow properly, but many farmers may not have access to such soils.
• High labor costs: Cassava farming requires significant labor input, which can be costly for farmers.
• Limited access to markets: Cassava farmers may face difficulty accessing markets to sell their products.
• High transportation costs: The cost of transporting cassava products to markets can be prohibitive for smallholder farmers.
• Lack of processing facilities: Many smallholder farmers may not have access to processing facilities to add value to their cassava products.
• Limited knowledge and technical know-how: Many smallholder farmers may not have the technical know-how required for successful cassava farming.
• Inadequate storage facilities: Cassava roots can deteriorate quickly if not stored properly, but many farmers may not have access to adequate storage facilities.
• Poor road infrastructure: Poor road infrastructure can make it difficult for farmers to transport their products to markets.
• Competition with other crops: Farmers may face competition with other crops for land, resources, and market access.
• Land tenure issues: Land tenure issues can make it difficult for farmers to secure land for cassava farming.
• Inadequate government support: Government policies and support for cassava farming may be insufficient, limiting the potential for the sector to grow and develop.

Overall, while cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa has significant potential, there are many challenges that farmers may face. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes improving access to inputs and credit, enhancing technical know-how, improving infrastructure, and increasing government support for the sector.

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To Sum It Up

In conclusion, cassava farming presents a significant opportunity for farmers and entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. With the numerous benefits, business opportunities, and market demand, cassava farming can be a profitable venture.

The versatility of cassava, as both a food and industrial crop, makes it a valuable asset that can contribute to food security and economic development in the region. However, the challenges, such as disease and pests, lack of access to finance and market, and low mechanization, need to be addressed to achieve the full potential of cassava farming.

With the right resources, knowledge, and skills, anyone can start cassava farming, from small-scale subsistence farmers to large-scale commercial farms. It is essential to follow the best practices for planting, harvesting, processing, and marketing to maximize yields and profits.

Overall, cassava farming in Nigeria and Africa holds tremendous potential to contribute to the growth and development of the agriculture sector, increase income for farmers and entrepreneurs, and improve food security and nutrition in the region.

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What are your thoughts on how to start cassava farming in Nigeria, Africa, or any other part of the world? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

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174 Comments

Hi Thanks for sharing your knowledge,it’s very informative and helpful. I wanted to know if the figures and data are recent inorder for me to complete my cassava business plan. I want to own my own cassava processing plant but in a small scare, do you know how much this will cost me?

Hi Charles,

The figures will differ based on your region and inflation.

You should make price enquiries in your location to be fully certain that your costing is well written for your business plan.

Thank you for asking.

I found your topic informative and make me want to learn this business. i want to venture into cassava business be it processing or cultivation from the the beginning but I dont have any experience whatsoever on it which now bring me to my real questions;

1 . How can one source for Cassava 2 . What to budget for buying 3 . How to do the processing 4 . What to produce 5 . How to Market the product 6 . Are there any organization to join when venturing into this

Please kindly enlighten us on these highlighted questions and also add your own if I have missed out anything .

Best Regards

Hi Adeniyi,

A cassava farming e-book would soon be available on the blog.

Do lookout for it.

Hi May i get a copy of cassava farming ebook through my email address. Thanks

When the eBook is available, everyone that reads this article would know about it.

I by name zubairu Mohammed I want to for cassava business an I have a land but I don’t have the farmashal sapot

Hi Zubairu,

Have you tried reaching out to the Bank of Agriculture?

Thank you for the comment.

Hi, thank u for those pieces of information. I’m writing a business proposal for cassava cultivation. I would like your assistance on the steps to consider.

Hi Vitalis,

Please send an email to [email protected] and I’d be happy to help.

email address [email protected]

I have 2 acres of land rented and I want to plant on it. What kind of crops can I plant now? Is it advisable to plant cassava now?

Any crop is right if you have a large ready market for it.

First try to get buyers. If they bulge both in large numbers and desperacy, you can know the right crop you should venture into.

Fermentation Tank: NGN 220,000 Hydraulic Press: NGN 280,000 Hammer Mill: NGN 700,000 The above is for wat… wat end product of cassava will it give?

A cassava farming book answering all your questions would soon be available on the blog.

For now, you can do a google search on each to understand them.

good morning sir, pls how can i get your phone no. i need to talk to you on a farm proposal i need. thanks

Hi Johnson,

Please send an email to [email protected]

Hello Stan please I’d like to know if you have a personal experience in cassava farming and if yes where do you have your farm, what is your hectrage like, and what variety of cassava did you plant? Joseph Odama from the international institute of tropical agriculture (IITA) Ibadan. Telephone+2348060181862. Thanks.

We do farm consulting and so, work with different farmers to enlighten people through the blog.

You can also reach me via [email protected]

Thank you for asking still.

Hello Mr. Stan, I have about 20 hectares of land and I wish to cultivate cassava in it. Please i need help and assistance. How many tonnes of cassava can be harvested in a hectare on land and how much is a tonne?

Roughly about 25 to 30 tonnes of cassava can be cultivated on one hectare of land.

Thank you for your response. Pls how much is a tonne of cassava in the market? Can you please inbox me your contact number for your one n one assistance.

It depends.

A Metric Tonne of cassava chips is 25,000 Naira.

A Metric Tonne of cassava flour is 135,000 Naira.

A Metric Tonne of cassava starch is 648,000 Naira.

These prices would have changed because of the inflation.

But you get the idea.

Thank you very much. Please if it’s okay with you, can you be my consultant regarding this venture. Just let me know your mind, thank you.

You can always ask me any questions.

Just send an email to [email protected] and I’ll try my best to always reply.

wow! these prices are good. please i would love to know which market these sale prices are quoted from. Nigerian market? or European or American market. God bless you for these info

These are last year’s prices.

We’d update as soon as we can.

U are Gof sent especially for people like me I really appreciate the good work more grease to ur elbow.pls can u help with an example of well articulated business plan/proposal for a Grant I am applying for

Thank you for the commendation, Ahotu.

Please send an email to [email protected] regarding the business plan.

Do have a great time.

Thank you for sharing, I find it very handy especially at this time that I am thinking of venturing into the Agribusiness world

Thank you for the commendation Bosun.

Thanks for all these information

Thank you for the commendation Olu.

pls, i need to know how buy cassava tuber from farmers in nigeria because i want to venture into agriculture tell me the details the address, email, the price and any other information i need to know thanks.God bless u

To get the real time costs, I’d advice you visit a market or several cassava farms.

The variations in their prices will give you the best idea.

Do leave a comment on your findings.

Hello Mr Stan, please what is a tonne I don’t understand also I have four plot of land 400 by 400 please what quantity of cassava someone can get from it . Thanks Olukayode David

The answer is quite tardy because, it depends on how many can be grown all year round.

I’d advise you visit an existing cassava farm to get a comprehensive answer on that.

But pending then, anyone who runs an active cassava farm could leave the answer as a comment.

Then again, thank you for asking.

This is a wonderful lesson sir. Plz sir during saling how can I sale the product so that I can get my profi or i my saling the cassava direct from the farm or i will have to process it before? Thank you.

Hi If I invest on cassava farm on an area of 1 hectares what will be my return on investment?

Hi Okechukwu,

We’d have to do a more updated market research to cover that.

We’re also working on a cassava farming eBook that will cover that.

[…] Source: Stan Edom […]

Thank you for the information because information is power.i would like to ask you sir, i like to venture into agric. business but am little bit confused whether to go into pigry or cassava? your advice

Only venture into what you have a sound knowledge of and have seen another succeed at.

This should guide you to make a great decision.

Thank you for the comment Yinka.

Is the ebook on casava farming available yet?

The eBook is in the works.

When it’s done, I’ll do well to let everyone know.

Well done. Great write up

Thank you for the commendation Kehinde.

Have a great time!

good post…keep it up its actually help in my research on cassava farming

I’m glad it helped your research AK.

This write up is xtremely informative and poverty alleviating indeed.Recent market survey tells about the skyrocketing price of the white yam flour popularly call (Elubo Lafun). Well done keep it up @ more grease to ur elbow.Riches lies in filthiness @ only the sensitive @ wise can discover it.Let’s go back to our known african profession

Thank you for the commendation Marcus.

Have a wonderful time!

Pls how can I get a high yield variety cassava stems to buy in Benin City, Edo state.

You can get cassava stems from Ososa and Odogbolu axis in Ogun state.

I’m not too familiar with the Edo state axis, but you can find three businesses in Edo state that can sell you cassava stems here >>> http://www.vconnect.com/edo/list-of-cassava-stem-vendors-search_p670

Overtime, more people will leave valuable comments here that can answer more of your questions and others.

This write up is highly educative and informative I really appreciate the effort of the write May God Almighty continue to be with u My question is that can u assist to give a rough estimate on the cost of farming cassava on 10acres of land. thanks for your anticipated response.

Hi Adenusi,

Thank you for the kind words.

Concerning your question:

It depends on if the farmland has been cleared for cultivation or not.

If trees are present and you’re currently purchasing the cassava stem cuttings, engaging labour, carrying out irrigation, clearing the land, and more, you could spend about 500,000 Naira ($1063).

If trees are absent, you could spend about 300,000 Naira ($638).

10acres, for clearing the land by tractor budget around 605,000,for bedding, it’s around 80,000, for buying the cassava stem 50,000 and some other additional cost, I just started my own 10acre

Please Fakorede, I need to have a discussion with you. Please leave a text on my mobile 08135387614 and I will call in return.

Dear Fakorede, can we talk on whatsapp or through email? 08066705231 or [email protected] . Thanks as i await your response

please fakorede i need your phone number for guides on this business. Here is mine 08033242780

Thank you for the information

You’re welcome Abasiama.

Hello Stanley. Weldone for the good work. Pls, I am interested in the cassava farming. I met a professional farmer who told me that to get 1acre of land, clearing and cultivating on lease is #60k and havesting is #150k i.e during havesting time 1acre of land of cassava can only give #150k but I was wondering how can I acre of land give 150k where 1 pickup motor is #120k in ogun state. Pls. How much can I make in one acre of cassava land. Thx.

The reality is the fertility of the soil will determine what value of cassava you’d harvest and the cost of clearing and harvesting is dependent on your negotiating power.

Also, generating 150,000 Naira ($500) for an acre now (2016/2017) is a far cry. It is most likely 100,000 Naira worth of cassava max, except if the land is very fertile, and so, can produce larger and better cassava yields.

This is one reason people buy acres of land to cultivate cassava crops.

hello Mr Stan pls are u saying #60,000 can cultivate 1acre of cassava farmland with due considerations to cost of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizer and other farm inputs. my second question is that I was told by a consultant that from a very good fertile land we should be able to get 25-30 tonnes pls is it true with respect to your answer above (#100,000) that you said is realistic

Hi Bankole,

All you stated are valid.

Bankole meant to say that the consultant said 25-30 tonnes of cassava can be obtained from 1acre of land. But you earlier said that, that is attainable on 1 hectare land.

Could you please give some clarity. I am extremely glad to find myself here. Good bless you Stan

The factors surrounding the crop’s growth determines what is possible and what is not.

I sincerely appreciate your effort Stan …more grease to your elbow… please kindly inform me when the ebook on cassava processing is available

Thank you for the kind words Taofik.

I’ll do well to let everyone know once the eBook is available.

More grease to your elbows Mr. Stanley M interested for the ebook

Thank you for the commendation Tobias.

When the eBook is available, I’ll do well to let everyone know.

Without a bankable biz proposal,collateral and connection,can there be any loan from the said bank?Is there any loan,at all? Great job u’re doing here!Waitn 4 d e-book!

The truth is, it’s better you go through a business plan competition like AYEEN. They shortlist business plans and help facilitate funding for them through the Bank of Industry (BOI). Last year, they helped about 500 businesses.

The eBook is currently in the works. When it’s available, I’ll do well to let everyone know.

pls Mr Stan, how much do you think a bundle of cassava cost now?

I’m not quite sure about now due to the exchange rate.

pls help me out, some one said to buy cassava stem for an acre will cost like 60k, pls aw true is that? and how many heaps can be made for cassava cultivation on an acre ? pls how much averagely (profit) can be gotten from an acre?

The profit from an acre is largely dependent on your cost of labour and your cassava yield. The yield is determined by the fertility level of the land and if you’re using high yield cassava stem cuttings or not. The truth is after 12 months, you may not make up to 100,000 Naira in profits if you’re not using high yield cassava stem cuttings. The larger the scale at which you execute your cassava farm, the more profitable you can be.

Also, you can’t completely determine how many stem cuttings will work for an acre because the farmland measurements are different per state. The best way to know for sure in your own state is to buy and plant.

Concerning heaps per acre, the tubers don’t grow in proportion to each other. some are usually far bigger than others, resulting in different numbers on every harvest.

very interesting motivating

Thank you for the comment Elias.

Great information on agriculture poroject. My question is how many strands of cassava plant will an Acre of land contain.

That’s a very broad question and no one really has an answer to that.

Great work and thanks for sharing. I have just acquired 65 acres of land and prefer to plant cassava, maize and soya beans mainly. The farm is in Ido local government of Oyo State. Please where can we source high quality seeds and cassava cuttings we need. Also what is the quantity we need for the space. Regards

You can get seeds from some locations in Ogun State.

Also, we’re starting up an affordable agric supply chain service for small businesses soon.

It will be available sometime in May or early July.

We’ll do well to announce once it is.

Hello kunle, am currently within ido local government and privileged to have an access to land for farming right now, however I believe I can help or assist on reputable places of where to get high quality cassava stem cuttings and maize seeds as well, the maize seeds have planted has been good from the result am seeing even by planting 1 seed, 2 seeds, 3 seeds and 4 seeds per hole, have seen a 98% germination rate so far. As for the cassava stems, it depends on the specie you want which is also dependent on the market you are targeting. if you have further questions you can let me know and you can also contact me for more information Through my email [email protected]

Thank you Oluwafemi, Sorry, I have been out of town for some time but will contact you shortly.

Kunle Owoseje

Hi stan, Trust you are doing good.could you please send e book on cassava plantation to my email.

Hi Benjamin,

When the eBook is available, we’ll do well to let everyone know.

I need a business plan to follow as a guide in writing mine …please help

Hi Oladele,

Thanks for this post. Pls do cassave grow anywhere? Or still depends on land nutrients.

Hi Micheal,

The growth of every kind of farm product is highly dependent on the soil type and atmospheric conditions.

Hi, I have always desired to go into Agriculture however, I am still comtemplating on the particular product to cultivate, the quantity of land to purchase, the cost implication and the location for the farm. I need a guide for the different options of crops with the inherent pros and cons to enable me make a good choice. I will very much love to chat and talk with you on this if you will be available.

You can reach me via email at [email protected] or via phone at the phone number listed on the contact us page.

Pls, can u test land soil ?

Can testing soil reduce chemical and fertilizer one needed?

The answer to all your questions is a yes.

Hi Stan, Great job you’ve done with this write up. May God enrich your life and enlarge your coast as you have done for several people with this info.

Thank you for the kind words Segun.

I wish you the same.

Tanks so much Stan.I’ve learnt alot from this post. I just need a little clarification,u said 25-30tonnes can be gotten 4rm an hectare of land and each tonne cost about 25,000naira. If that is the case how come u said ones profit in an hectare of land may not be up to 100,000naira,when 25,000×30tonnes should be giving about 750000.please clarify me on this. tt

The price per ton varies. And 25,000 is for cassava chips, not tubers, which would be harvested.

Once you factor in all the direct costs and expenses, you’re left with little.

So it’s advisable to go large scale or use high-yield stem cuttings, so you can try to meet the 25 to 30 tons harvest potential.

Thanks for sharing this information. But i wish to ask if after i harvest the cassava can i still use the harvested stem as seed? and again, is a plot equivalent to an acre?

Hi Chinedu,

1). The cassava stems can be planted.

2). An acre is roughly about 6 plots of land.

Sir i also wish to ask how a cassava stem can be stored.

One way you can store your cassava stems is by burying them after harvest, so they don’t dry up. They can also be stored in trenches under the shades of mostly plantains, amongst several other methods like roguing.

And againg I already have about an hectre of land availale in Ukwa East, Abia State, and from your land specs, i believe the land qualifies to be used as a cassava farm, because Ukwa East lga is known to have a flatbed landscape. Sir, pardon me to ask if it is necessary to wait till April before i can plant my cassava if i want to use irrigation farming method. I plan to use artificial water instead of waiting for the rain, don’t know if it is possible?

I really love what you guys are doing, a big thanks to you all. In the future when are investment yield i would really want to have you guys as my consultant.

An irrigation system is expensive for small farmers and will eat into your profits.

To confirm if the land is fertile, please contact the local agricultural association in your state.

They should be able to help you out better.

Hello, I can say this for sure, what you’ve got on your site is revolutionary and enough to change anybody’s life. Just stumbled on your site and have been going through your articles and honestly at about 12:17am, I can’t hide my excitement cos I found just what I’ve been looking for. I will love to have your thought on Cassava processing in huge commercial scale, if it’s profitable as standalone venture. Picking a start with the thought of the financial implications and other requirements has left me somewhat stuck if not overwhelmed. I will really appreciate a perspective for direction. Thanks.

Hi Gabriel,

Before considering the profitable scale, you need to consider your ability to build a strong supply chain network.

I’d also advise you carry out a feasibility study before you begin.

Hello Stan… This is such a wonderful piece and I am about to start up my own cassava farm. I just acquired 10acres of land in Ogun state. I don’t have any experience in Farming and I have a budget of 500k for the 10 acres which is to cover all labour cost as well as planting. This is a fertile land cos there are lots of cassava farms around. My fear is how to control pest and rodents and how much do I stand to gain on 10acres. Thank you

Hi Oludayo,

Your yield is relative to the type of stem cuttings planted and your farming practice.

I’d advice you hire professionals to manage your farm at its inception, for you.

without Agriculture what can we do for the life of our country,we thank God for the gitf of Agriculture in Nigeria.

Thank you for the comment, Joseph.

there is land but no money to start a good farm. am asking how do I start

You could try to raise money from family and friends first.

Thanks for your good work. I have a 3acres plantain Farm. I just registered the Agric business and need to write a business plan as agro hub to other farmers on organic crops and animals. Thanks ahead

Hi Adedeji,

help me with the business plan you wrote

Hi thanks for the information, can I use half plot of land for commercial farming of cassava?

You’d achieve next to nothing with a half plot.

The minimum you should consider using is a hectare.

Hello Stan, You are such a gift…. Can u advise on Inter-cropping maize and castor…and also which do u think is more profitable,maize or cassava farming please.I will also like to chat u on whatsapp pls….08137575773

The profitability of any business lies in the strength of the entrepreneur’s supply chain.

I hope you do understand.

You can reach me on the phone number listed on the contact us page.

Hello Mr Stan, Thank you for educating us about this great opportunity, and also for your prompt articulated responses to questions asked. May God continue to bless you.

Thank you for the kind words, Ikenna.

May God bless you too.

thanks, please how much does it cost to proccess 4tonne of cassava into gari using mechanical method (i.e cassava proccessing plant)

Hi Arinola,

I may not be able to give that answer, but I’d advise you do a market research to get a current figure.

Hi Stan. I can only say thank you very much for all you are doing for Nigerians who are interested in agriculture. May God bless you abundantly and the Holy Book says that “He adds no pain to His blessings.” Please I want to know which is more profitable between cassava farming and yam farming giving that all conditions are right? thank you very much in advance for your response.

My take is Cassava farming.

Ultimately, the strength of your supply chain network determines the returns on your investments.

Good job Stan.

Thank you for the commendation, Adeola.

Good day Mr Stan.

I am Adeola. I have gone through your responses to peoples’ question and thanks for the selfless contribution.

I plan venturing into garri processing using my cassava farming as source of raw materials.

I need a business plan on both cassava farming and garri processing. Am interested in what tonage of garri can the machine process per day and what tonage of cassava required. This will inform me of how many acres of land do i need to plan for in order not to run out of raw materials throughout the year.

I also need your ebook on cassava farming. I need to know the best time to plant my cassava.

Thank u for your early response.

I believe I’ve sent you an email, Adeola.

Good Afternoon Mr. Stan, pls is the e-book ready. Am thinking of going into cassava farming and I believe that the book will help me. [email protected]

The eBook will be live on the blog in two weeks.

Do be on the look out for it.

Hi, Please can you send me a comprehensive business plan for cassava farming and garri processing on a large scale in order to develop my Own.

This is really awesome and inspiring. I have been doing a lot of research lately on which of the crops to start farming. I buy the idea of this cassava farming and I will be glad if I can have access to the Ebook on Cassava farming. Thanks for the good work and empowerment of startups.

The book will be available soon.

I am James Mwape, a Zambian. I want to venture into cassava production and processing. I have been encouraged by the way Nigerians handle cassava. My main interest at the moment is in finished products which can be sold by simple businesses. I asking you to give me information on some of these products. I would appreciate if you can provide me with any information you think can be useful. Thanks in anticipation.

There’s a wide array of processed products like ethanol, flour, garri, and much more that you can get from Cassava.

A google search would be a great way to start.

How can one identify the cassava possessing the qualities you mentioned above in your discussion on SELECTING THE BEST CASSAVA VARIETY TO PLANT?

I’d advise you reach out to Cassava Growers on how to get high yield cassava stem cuttings.

Lovely post, I hope the ebook is out Mr Stan

Soon, Taiwo.

Stan, you’re doing a great job here. Keep it up

Thank you for the commendation, Charles.

Do have a great time!

GOOD JOB, pls what period of the year can one cultivate cassava and yam and how many month will it take to be harvest.

Hi Abdulwahab,

The best time is around April/May.

I’ll need the ebook too, Gmail: [email protected] .

Thanks in anticipation

Good morning Stan,

I am pleased to send you this mail. Hope you and yours are doing great.

My brother has a 53 acre yet to be cultivated land in Oyo state, he wants to go into planting and cropping of cassava, maize and cashew.

What suggestions do you have for him and is it possible to get a robust business plan to drive them?

Warm regards.

Hi Abidemi,

I’d advise he works with consultants to help him setup the farm.

Hello Abidemi, getting a competent consultant or a professional is the best solution on cultivating the 53 acres, However I can be of great impact either as a consultant, professional or any other. I have a cassava farm of my own, and I also belong to a cooperative whereby we are cultivating cassava and maize on 450 acres next planting season. However, so many people lose money in farming due to lack of technical know-how which I can provide like selecting and getting a viable specie of cassava through stakeholders in IITA. conditions to be met for bumper harvest etc. You can contact me Via my email: [email protected] for my services.

Akinwa Oluwafemi, weldone. Please do you have the idea of how much is required to set up a garri processing company? And all to set up a cassava farm?

Good morning stan, you are doing a great job here, I really do appreciate your effort! please I want to start cassava farming on an acre of land in ogun state basically for garri processing, I am deeply interested on how not to run out of raw material after the 1st harvest so production can continue all year round! and please do you have any idea of how I can get a locally fabricated peelers, washers,graters, de-watering system or big hydraulics system, all equipment needed to set up a small scale garri processing factory with less labour? my e mail is [email protected]

Hi Dehinde,

The best place to fabricate anything now is in Nnewi, Anambra state.

Good day Stan, great piece… I’m planning to go into cassava production. However your cost breakdown analysis was about 2 years ago. Please can you send an updated one if it’s not too inconvenient.

Hi Ferdinand,

We can prepare you a business plan with updated financials.

Do let me know if you’re interested in the service by sending an email to [email protected]

Hi Stan, I have approximately 8 hectares of Cassava farm which will be fully matured by May. I want to sell to industries using Cassava starch/syrup for production. I have no contact for that now. Can you link me?

please i need a prepared business plan with updated financials for the next five years.

Hi it’s me iskaba iskelebete iskoloboto when are we getting our cassava ebook

You are really doing a great job. thanks for the info shared. Please I would love to invest in one acre of cassava farm. I am a corporate guy, but I am really interested in farming but dont have the time. Can you give me a profitability analysis of investing in one acre of cassava farm.

Is the eBook on cassava farming out?

Good work.Please,send me a business plan on Cassava farming on three acres land.

Please send an email to [email protected] .

Mr Stanley, thank you so much for the great work you’ve been doing here. I found it educative and informative which allow me to take bold step. Thank you ones again.

Mr Stanley, I appreciate your good deeds, this platform is educative and informative. I just stubby into this blog through Google search, I have one acre of land want to cultivate plaintain and cassava on it; please I wish to know if I can start this month. Thank you so much for the great work.

Please I need a comprehensive business plan for cassava farming and gaari production on a large scale. [email protected]

am very grateful for these information on cassava farming, more grease to your elbow. pls i want to know if one can cultivate cassava twice in a year. secondly i want to no if there are companies in enugu or environs that needs cassava tubers? thirdly, how much to lease an hectare of land? thanks

Please i have a very fertile farm land of 5000 plots for lease/sale in umuosi, Ndoki, Oyigbo, Rivers state. Note free light is available here too. contact me on whatsapp +2348181624843

I really enjoy reading this, I stumble into it while googling on the most lucrative things to plant. I’m thinking of investing in farming even though I have no idea on it, what I have in mind is to grow any of these things: cassava, maize or plaintain. I want to lease about two to three acres of land because I don’t know how expensive buying the land may be. Please I need advise on how to go about these things as I know next to nothing on them. Thank you.

Thank you sir, i have see your response toward people requests, pls i need a business plan on cassava farming for 5 years

Comments are closed.

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How To Start Cassava Farming Business: A 8-Step Guide

Last updated on March 5th, 2023 at 02:09 pm

Cassava farming is one of the agriculture businesses that is underrated, but research shows that Nigeria has the capacity to generate over $400 in revenue from domestic value.

In one of our guides, we extensively explain how to start a profitable plantain farming business , but here, we analyse how you can start a cassava farming business in Nigeria, its profitability and the peculiar diseases of cassava and how you can prevent or control them.

While there are other agribusinesses  like goat farming , rice farming, and poultry among others, cassava cultivation is another one that is highly profitable, especially when the prices of foodstuffs have skyrocketed.

Let’s get started….

Table of Contents

What is the best cassava farming season.

For farmers who do not have the ability to make use of irrigation for a start, the farming season for cassava should begin in April, when the soil is warm enough that the crop can start to grow.

The farming season for cassava in Nigeria typically runs from April to December.

At this time, farmers typically prepare the soil and plant the cassava cuttings or seedlings, which are then fertilized and then watered by natural rain as needed.

Throughout the season, farmers must regularly monitor their crops and take measures to protect them from pests and diseases.

What are the plantation methods for cassava?

Farmers in Nigeria cultivate cassava using various methods, including:

• traditional land cultivation,
• inter-cropping, and
• mechanized farming.

What are the varieties of cassava?

There are varieties of cassava which vary in maturation, some mature by 6 months while some are 9 months or more depending on the cultivar you procure.

some of the high-yielding cassava varieties include:

• Yellow cassava

So, let us get started about step by step guide on how you can start your own cassava farm and all you need to know.

Step 1: Acquire Land (Depending on your capacity)

You need to acquire a piece of land. You may decide to procure farmland, hire or make use of the small area in your backyard.

Suitability of land

The ideal land for cassava farming is flat and free of stones, with soil that is rich in organic matter and has a pH balance between 5.5 and 6.5.

If you’re looking to purchase land for cassava farming, it’s important to ensure that the soil meets these requirements before making a purchase.

Step 2: Clear the Land (Farmland Preparation)

You need to clear the land of any existing vegetation. This can be done manually with a machete, you can hire labour. If you plan large-scale cassava cultivation, using a tractor for clearing will suffice.

It’s important to be careful when clearing the land, as any damage caused to the soil can have a negative impact on the crop.

You should ensure not to expose the topsoil to direct sunlight or set fire to the farmland indiscriminately which may affect natural decomposers and soil enhancer agents in the soil.

Step 3: Prepare the Soil

Preparing the soil involves tilling the soil and adding organic matter, such as compost or manure, to increase fertility of the soil.

It’s also important to ensure that the soil pH is in the correct range for growing cassava.

Does cassava cultivation require ridges?

For an optimal yield, you should make a ridges or heap that is at least 1 foot tall and not less than 1 foot wide to get the best out of the soil.

Step 4: Plant the Cassava

It’s time to plant the cassava.  Cut the Cassava stem you have gotten either from a friend’s farm or you bought from an Agro store closer to you.

Ensure the stick has at least 3 to 4 nodes

While planting the stick, ensure the phase is facing the upward direction and spaced about a foot apart.

It’s important to ensure that the stems are planted at the right depth by leaving only 2 or 3 buds above ground.

Step 5: Water and Fertilize

Cassava is a thirsty crop, so it’s important to ensure that it is watered regularly.

It’s best to water the crop in the morning and evening and to use a fertilizer that is specifically designed for cassava farming.

The best fertilizer for cassava

You can make use of NPK fertilizer or the best manure from poultry droppings, cattle and other organic substances.

Step 6: Weed and Mulch

Weeds can quickly overtake a cassava farm, so it’s important to keep on top of the weeding. It’s also important to mulch the soil around the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

To do that, you may use the grasses you weed or cut from the farmland while you were preparing the farmland for planting

Step 7: Harvesting of Cassava

Harvesting cassava can be done after six to eight months, depending on the variety.

The crop is usually ready to be harvested when the leaves begin to yellow. Once the cassava has been harvested, it should be stored in a cool, dry place until it is ready to be processed or consumed.

Step 8: Selling

After the whole process, the profit from the plantation and harvesting is very important. You have to know the market value of a ton of cassava.

In some local areas across Nigeria, a number of stems are used for sale. However, it is better to use the standard price.

Currently, a ton of cassava is between NGN65, 000 and NGN80, 000, in Nigeria depending on the seller’s location, the variety of the cassava, and the market.

There are many reasons why cassava cultivation is profitable: most of the cassava byproducts constitute staple food in Nigeria.

The byproducts include:

• Cassava flour,
• Animal feed

Cost Of Planting 1 Acre Of Cassava In Nigeria

The cost of planting one acre of cassava in Nigeria varies depending on several factors, including:

• the quality of seedlings,
• the availability of labour, and
• the cost of inputs.

Generally, the cost of planting one acre of cassava in Nigeria can range from NGN 40,000 to NGN 120,000. This cost includes the cost of seedlings, fertilizer, labor, and other inputs.

It is important to note that the cost of seedlings can be higher in some cases, while the cost of labor and other inputs may vary depending on the location.

Additionally, the cost of planting may be higher if an irrigation system is required.

Projected profit for cassava farming

The projected profit to make on 1 acre of cassava plantation in Nigeria is highly dependent on the quality of the soil, the local climate, the farmer’s expertise, and the market price of cassava.

Generally, it is estimated that a small farmer in Nigeria can make between NGN400,000 to NGN1,000,000 annually from 1 acre of cassava plantation.

Note: The projected profit depends on the price in your location and the yield of the plantation.

The estimated profit is based on an average yield of 10 tonnes per acre from the plantation.

The market price of cassava can also affect the estimated profit. For instance, if the market price is higher, then the projected profit will also be higher.

Common Pests And Diseases Of Cassava

There are some diseases and pests that may invade your cassava farm which in turn may reduce the yield and profits, some of the pests and diseases include:

Cassava Mealybug

The cassava mealybug is a major pest of cassava, causing significant damage to the crop.

The insect infests the leaves, stems and storage roots of the plant, causing distortion and yellowing of leaves and reducing production.

Cassava Green Mites

Cassava green mites are small, green mites found on the undersides of the leaves of cassava. These mites feed on the plant’s sap and can cause severe damage, leading to reduced yields.

Cutworms are a type of caterpillar that feed on the leaves of cassava. They can cause significant damage to the crop, leading to reduced yields.

Whiteflies are small insects that feed on the sap of cassava plants. They can cause yellowing of the leaves and reduce production.

Leafhoppers

Leafhoppers are small insects that feed on the sap of cassava plants. They can cause yellowing of the leaves and reduce production.

Ants can cause damage to the stems, leaves, and storage roots of cassava plants. They can also spread diseases and weaken plants.

Bacterial Blight

Bacterial blight is a disease caused by a bacterium that infects the leaves of cassava plants. Symptoms include yellowing and wilting of the leaves, as well as black spots on the leaves and stem.

Cassava Mosaic Virus

The Cassava mosaic virus is a virus that affects cassava plants. Symptoms include yellowing and distortion of the leaves, as well as stunted growth.

Cassava Brown Streak Disease

Cassava brown streak disease is a virus that affects cassava plants. Symptoms include brown streaks on the leaves, as well as yellowing and wilting of the leaves.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that affects the stems, leaves, and storage roots of cassava plants. Symptoms include wilting and yellowing of the leaves and stunted growth.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects the leaves of cassava plants. Symptoms include white, powdery spots on the leaves, as well as yellowing and wilting.

Cassava pest and disease control

Practice crop rotation:.

Crop rotation can help reduce the spread of disease and pests. Rotate your cassava with other crops such as corn and beans to reduce the likelihood of common pests and diseases.

Avoid excessive fertilizing:

Too much fertilizer can cause nutrient deficiency, which can attract pests and diseases. Fertilize sparingly and use organic fertilizers whenever possible.

Plant disease-resistant varieties:

Plant varieties that are naturally resistant to common pests and diseases. This will help reduce the incidence of pest and disease infestations.

Maintain good sanitation:

Remove and dispose of any diseased or dead plants immediately and properly. This will help prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

Plant in well-drained soil:

Plant cassava in well-drained soil to prevent root rot and other diseases.

Monitor for pests and diseases:

Regularly inspect your cassava plants for any signs of pests or diseases. Early detection and treatment can help prevent major infestations.

Remove weeds and debris:

Remove any weeds or debris from around your cassava plants. This will help reduce the likelihood of pests and diseases.

Best practices in planting cassava

Plant in well-prepared soils:.

Before planting, it is essential to properly prepare the soil by removing any large stones or other debris and loosening the soil with a hoe or spade.

Use quality planting materials:

Plant with cassava cuttings that are healthy and free of pests or diseases. Use cuttings that are about 20 cm long and have at least three buds.

Plant at the right depth:

Plant the cuttings at a depth of about 10 cm. It is important to ensure that the cuttings are not planted too deeply, as this may inhibit root growth.

Space plants properly:

The spacing of the plants should be done in such a way that the plants are not overcrowded. Space plants in rows, with the rows, spaced about 1 meter apart, and the plants in each row spaced about 20 cm apart.

Water regularly:

Cassava is a drought-tolerant crop, but regular watering is still necessary to maintain growth and yield. Water the plants at least once a week, or more frequently during dry periods.

Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, at least once a month to ensure that the plants receive adequate nutrients for growth and yield.

Control weeds:

Remove any weeds that are growing near the cassava plants to prevent competition for nutrients and water.

Regularly check the plants for signs of pests or diseases, and take action if necessary.

Harvest when ready:

Harvest the cassava when the roots are large and firm. The roots should be at least 10 cm in diameter.

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How To Start Cassava Farming Business In Nigeria

• Entrepreneurs.ng
• May 23, 2020

Cassava farming is a profitable agribusiness in Nigeria and is a source of livelihood for millions of farmers. Also, cassava serves as a primary staple food to over 800 million people worldwide.

It is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is used for producing food products like garri, flour, tapioca, fufu, chips, e.t.c. It is rich in vitamins, carbs, calcium, etc.

Cassava plants can be planted alone or together with other crops like maize, groundnuts, vegetables, and rice. There is a ready market for cassava and its farming is not very labor-intensive like some other food crops.

Are you looking for a profitable agribusiness to invest in? Cassava farming is a good option. In this article, I will highlight everything you need to know about the cassava farming business in Nigeria.

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Cassava Farming In Nigeria

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) also called manioc, mandioca, or yuca is a plant extensively cultivated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is mostly cultivated in tropical regions.

It is a major source of calories and carbs widely consumed in developing countries. Also, it is a good source of dietary fibre, rich in vitamins, calcium, phosphorous, thiamin, folic acid, manganese, potassium, and other important nutrients. The tuberous roots are used for cassava flour, bread, tapioca, garri, fufu, laundry starch, and alcoholic beverages.

Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava with most of it going to Europe. In 2017, Nigeria produced 59 million tons making about 20% of global world production. Besides, it exports about 3.2 million tons annually and earned $136 million in 2013.

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Uses Of Cassava

The cassava plant, leaves and roots are all useful and important. For instance, fresh cassava roots can be processed into different food products fit for human consumption and for local/export markets.

The leaf is a nutritious vegetable rich in protein. The unpeeled roots can be grated and dried for use as animal feed and the stems can be sold for planting.

In addition, dried roots can be milled into flour. And, the flour can be used for bread baking in place of wheat flour. The fresh roots can also be sliced thinly or into larger spears to make chips or french fries.

Also, the roots can be peeled, grated, and washed with water to extract the starch which can be used for fufu, pasta, crackers, tapioca e.t.c. Additionally, cassava can be processed industrially and used for paper-making, textiles adhesives, high fructose syrup, alcohol, e.t.c.

Now, we are going to explore the basic steps you need to follow to venture into the cassava farming business.

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How To Start Cassava Farming Business

Business Registration

Business registration is essential in running a business in Nigeria. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is an authorized business registration agency in Nigeria. You can decide to do a business name registration, or a private limited liability company depending on the ownership structure.

You can log on to the CAC website or reach out to ReDahlia . ReDahlia offers business consultation services and will proffer solutions to your business challenges.

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Business Plan

A business plan is a document that states the aims, vision, objectives and the best way to achieve it. Creating a business plan for your cassava farm will give you access to grants, bank loans, and other government financing opportunities available to farmers.

A cassava farming business plan can have the following outline;

• Industry Overview
• Executive Summary
• Vision Statement
• Roles and Responsibilities
• SWOT Analysis
• Market Analysis
• Sales and Marketing Strategy
• Publicity and Advertising Strategy
• Financial Projections and Costing
• Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

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Startup Capital

In case you are worried about capital for cassava farming, the Nigerian government makes financing available to farmers. The government through the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) provides agricultural loans to farmers. Therefore, you can take advantage of this opportunity to start your cassava farm.

Also, you can reach out to investors or perhaps family and friends who may be interested in investing in your farm. The business plan will help you sources for funding if you do not have enough funds to start.

The start-up capital will be for land acquisition, land preparation, labour, working tools and equipment, cassava stem, operational cost, advert, e.t.c

Some of the equipment are;

• Soil cultivator
• Broadcast seeder
• Wheel Barrow

As soon as the start-up capital is ready, the next thing is to swing into action.

Select a Good Location

In all agribusiness, the choice of land is important, and it’s the first step in cassava farming. Cassava is usually planted on lands with deep well-drained loamy soil, adequate rainfall, and warm/moist climatic conditions. This is because loamy soil is rich in nutrients, low in gravel, and easy to till.

Therefore, before you settle for land, do a soil test to determine the texture and the richness of the soil. Besides, in a case where you don’t find a fertile land with rich soil, use the following fertility treatment to improve the soil nutrients;

• Apply manure, organic/inorganic fertilizers to the land
• Practice mulching; covering the soil surface with plant materials.
• Plant cassava with other food crops like maize, rice, vegetables, legumes, e.t.c. These crops will make and release nutrients into the soil and help the cassava plant.

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Select The Variety To Plant

There are varieties of cassava planted by farmers e.g TMS 30110, TMS 300017, TMS 30555, TMS 30001, TME 419 e.t.c. Your selection will determine the yield.

Some cassava varieties are known to have a good yield, grow fast, are resistant to pests and diseases, and are widely accepted by the masses. Hence, in choosing, make a careful selection to avoid loss.

First, ensure it comes with good food quality, good cooking ability, grows fast, has good ground storability, and is tolerant of pests and diseases.  Some of the basic things to consider are;

High in starch content and dry matter : The percentage of dry matter in cassava roots determines the quantity and quality of the products obtained after the roots are processed. Also, the cassava variety that bulk early is better because they are able to make up for losses in storage root yield which might be an impact of weed competition, leaf-feeding pests, and disease. For instance, TME 419 is the best variety that meets these requirements.

Tolerant to weeds, pests, and diseases : Cassava varieties that are tolerant of weeds, pests, and diseases grow and branch early. They are able to expand their branches and leaves rapidly to shade the ground and prevent weeds from growing.

Edible : The storage roots of edible cassava can be cooked without processing and is sweet. The non-edible cassava is bitter.

Ground storage capacity : Good cassava can be in the ground without getting spoilt, damaged, or decayed until harvested. This will increase the yield and give maximum income.

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Select Healthy Cassava Stem Cuttings

Cassava stem cuttings are used to grow cassava crops and it has a great impact on the growth of the plant. A healthy stem can reduce the spread of pests and diseases and can improve the yield of the plant.

In the initial stage, cassava stem cuttings can be gotten from farmers or from the markets. Subsequently, you can begin to get from your own farm. First, you will need to cut each stem to a length of at least 20 – 25 cm with about 5-8 nodes.

Cassava stem cuttings taken from the top green portion of stems or extreme bottom of stored stems might not be suitable. This is because they might dehydrate quickly and produce unhealthy sprouts. Also, they might easily be infested by pests and diseases.

Planting of the cassava stem cutting can either be vertical, horizontal or at an angle into the soil.

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Plant The Cassava Crop

To plant, certain things need to be considered such as the land tillage method, the seedbed type, the time of the year, the method of preparation, e.t.c. Planting should be done when the soil is quite wet, after the beginning of the rainy season.

Plant the cuttings in mounds or in ridges and put them well into the earth, leaving only 2 or 3 buds above the ground.

After planting, depending on the soil, you may need fertilizer to boost the soil and production. It can be applied after about 8 weeks of planting. It should be a ring, 6cm wide and 10cm from the plant or spread with care around the plant. Just ensure the fertilizer does not stay around the cassava stems.

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Weed, Disease and Pest Control

Weeds, pests and diseases can affect the growth of cassava.

Therefore, it is important to weed when the cassava plants are 20 – 25 centimetres high. i.e  3-4 weeks after planting. Then, 1-2 months after the first weeding.

Also, when the soil of the mounds gets too hard, break it up with a hoe, so that water and air can get in to nourish the roots.

In addition, diseases like mosaic and rot can reduce the cassava yields, therefore, you must ensure that you do not plant cassava varieties that have been infested.

Also, control pests like rodents, insects, etc, by laying traps or digging deep ditches around the cassava plantations or perhaps spraying insecticide around the plant.

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Cassava can be harvested as soon as the roots have gotten a sufficient amount of starch which is always about 7 to 12 months after planting. It can be harvested as soon as the storage roots are large enough.

First, the upper parts of the stems with the leaves are removed before the harvest. Then, the roots are harvested by hand lifting the lower part of the stem, pulling the roots out of the ground, and removing them from the base of the plant which can be done manually or mechanically. Care must be taken to minimize the damage to the roots.

During the harvest, cassava stems cutting is done for the next planting season. They are propagated and kept in a protected location to prevent desiccation and then used for the next season. 

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Any business that wants to grow beyond its locality must invest in market promotion and advertisement.

Depending on the scale you want to operate, you can build a website and leverage internet and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, e.t.c to promote the business.

Create a business card, flyers, and handbills with a unique logo then distribute them around your environment. Also, as the brand continues to grow, make sure all facilities and equipment are branded.

Cassava farming can create a huge profit if the right variety is cultivated with good farm management skills.  If you take note of the above factors, it will bring in good yields at the right time.

So, if you are interested in starting a cassava farm, now is the time to start.

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I find this cassava business easier than I thought after reading this article and I think this is my time to take a step

Hello Yuki,

We are glad you want to start the business. Get the 35 Booming Business Ideas, which contains the cost of starting the cassava business and other businesses. https://www.entrepreneurs.ng/35-business-ideas/ . You can reach us directly on 08038874148. Thank you.

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Cassava farming business plan: From the starting point to a great fortune!

Cassava is one of the most important crops in Nigeria and, therefore, it’s a very attractive area for investment. Businesses on cassava processing are starting up all over Nigeria.

Everybody knows that cassava is the third most essential crop to Nigerians after rice and maize. It’s the basis of a lot of Nigerians daily diet. So, starting up a cassava farming business can easily make you a very rich person in almost no time!

We are going to share some basic tips on cassava farming and will try to prevent you from making serious mistakes in this area!

Buy all the necessary equipment for cassava farming from reliable sellers at the best price!

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Benefits of cassava farming business

• Cassava production in Nigeria is very easy
• Cassava doesn’t require extensive care
• You can harvest up to 50 tons of cassava per one hectare
• Cassava is used to make highly popular products:

- Wheat flour or

- Cassava flour

- Animal food

- Commercial caramel

- Ethanol and glucose syrup, bread, and so on.

Find a good site for planting

Choose a land plot with:

• Deep well drained soil with clay and sand content;
• enough precipitation;
• humid climate.

How to identify such area:

• Dense vegetation all around it;
• proper soil texture;
• the land is flat or almost flat.

Enhance the soil quality

This is how you can get the soil ready for successful cultivation:

• Use fertilizers;
• make proper seedbeds;
• grow cassava with other crops, etc.

Choose the best cassava breed to grow

Pay attention to the following factors while selecting the suitable cassava breed:

• It should have decent food quality;
• It should be good for cooking;
• It should bulk early;
• It should have good ground storability;
• It must be pest-, disease-, and weed-tolerant.

Everything is quite simple: find out the buyers’ preferences in your area and then grow those breed of cassava!

Pick healthy cassava stem cuttings

Follow this simple guide:

• Locate sturdy cassava plants.
• Leave out those cassava plants that are prone to diseases.

What fertilizer is the best?

Try these types of fertilizers:

• NPK 15:15:15–12 (50 kg) pack;
• NPK 20:10:10–9 (50 kg) pack;
• NPK 12:12:17–15 (50 kg) pack.

How to apply:

Apply farm fertilizer about 8 weeks after you plant your cassavas;

Apply the fertilizer in a circular mode, 6 cm wide and 10 cm from the plant trying to prevent the fertilizer getting in touch with the cassava stem or leaves.

Choose the best season to plant cassava

Cassava is normally planted from the end of March to mid September when there’s plenty of rain. It takes about 4-6 months for the crops to ripen, for example, if you plant them in April, then you can harvest in October.

A useful tip: one of the best areas to grow cassava is Ogun state, because of its fertile soils.

Plant cassava correctly

If you plant cassava correctly, you are sure to get luxuriant crops!

Cultivating tips:

• Woody cuttings should be planted upright in the upper part of the sloping soil;
• Cut the tops of the cuttings at an angle in order to prevent the water staying there and subsequent rotting of the plants;
• The best cuttings are taken from plants that are minimum 10 months old, they should be 2.5 to 4 cm thick and 20 - 30 cm long, and have at least of 3-6 buds each;
• The cuttings should be buried up to half of their length so that some of the buds get under the soil;
• The cuttings have the roots and start growing confidently in about 2 months;
• The distance between plants should be around 80 to 140 cm.

Setup & production cost, profitability

Consider this sample expenses list for starting up a cassava farm in Nigeria (the figures may vary from region to region):

• Farmland cost: NGN 75,000;
• Getting the Land Ready: NGN 25,000;
• Cassava stem cuttings: NGN 50,000 (For 100 pieces);
• Fertilizer: NGN 25,000;
• Fermentation Tank: NGN 220,000;
• Hydraulic Press: NGN 280,000;
• Hammer Mill: NGN 700,000.

You will also need some additional equipment – but its type depends on what final product you intend to get.

Other expenses for cassava farming:

• chemicals against pests;
• general farm keeping;
• manpower fees for harvesting;
• other labour fees, and so on.

You can obtain 25 tons of cassava roots on only one hectare.

You will need about N350,000 to start your business (not including the salaries for manpower).

On Jiji, you’ll find all the necessary essentials to start your cassava farming business at the most attractive price!

Install free updated Jiji app now – and get all the benefits of profitable online shopping in one super app!

Source: Legit.ng

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How to Start Cassava Processing Business In Nigeria

• by Michael Barry
• Last Updated - October 10, 2023

Cassava is a staple food crop in Nigeria, serving as a primary source of carbohydrates for millions of people. With a production volume of over 50 million metric tons per year, Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world. Despite this, the country has yet to fully harness the potential of cassava as a valuable commodity in the global market.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on starting a cassava processing business in Nigeria , which can contribute to the country’s economic growth, create job opportunities, and add value to raw cassava.

Overview of the Cassava Processing Business

Cassava can be processed into various products, each with its unique market demand and potential for profitability. Some of the most popular cassava products include:

• Garri: A popular West African food made from grated, fermented, and fried cassava tubers, garri is consumed by millions of people daily in Nigeria. It is often served with soups and stews, making it a versatile and affordable food option.
• Fufu: A traditional African dish, fufu is made by pounding boil cassava tubers into a dough-like consistency. It is consume with various soups and is a staple food in many Nigerian households.
• Cassava flour: A gluten-free alternative to wheat flour, cassava flour is gaining popularity in both local and international markets. It can be used for baking, thickening sauces, and making various food products.
• Starch: Cassava starch is used in various industries, including food, textile, and paper. It serves as a thickening agent, binder, and filler in numerous applications.
• Ethanol: Cassava can be processed into ethanol, a biofuel that is used as an alternative to gasoline. This renewable energy source is becoming more important in the fight against climate change and the global shift towards sustainable energy.

The cassava processing business offers numerous benefits, such as job creation, value addition to raw cassava, and a boost to the local economy. By investing in this sector, entrepreneurs can tap into a thriving market with high demand for cassava products while contributing to Nigeria’s agricultural and economic development.

How to Start a Cassava Processing Business in Nigeria

Starting a cassava processing business requires careful planning and execution. Follow these steps to ensure success:

1.  Conduct market research : Begin by identifying your target market and analyzing the competition. Determine the prices and profitability of cassava products to inform your business strategy.

2.  Develop a business plan : Outline your business structure, financial projections, and marketing strategy. A solid business plan will serve as a roadmap for your venture and help you secure funding.

3.  Obtain necessary permits and licenses : Register your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and obtain any required environmental impact assessments and food safety certifications. Compliance with regulations is crucial to avoid fines and penalties.

3.  Secure funding : Depending on your financial situation, consider using personal savings, bank loans, or grants and government support programs to fund your cassava processing business.

5.  Choose a location : Select a site with proximity to raw material supply, access to transportation and markets, and availability of utilities and infrastructure.

6.  Set up processing facilities : Acquire the necessary equipment and machinery for cassava processing, storage facilities, and hire and train staff to ensure efficient production.

7.  Establish supply chain and distribution networks : Source raw cassava from local farmers, build relationships with wholesalers and retailers, and develop a transportation plan to distribute your products.

Best Practices for Success in the Cassava Processing Business

To succeed in the cassava processing business, implement these best practices:

1.  Quality control and assurance : Consistently deliver high-quality products by implementing strict quality control measures and adhering to industry standards.

2.  Continual innovation and product development : Stay competitive by continually improving your products and developing new offerings to meet changing consumer demands and market trends.

3.  Efficient production processes : Optimize your production processes to minimize waste, reduce costs, and maximize profitability. Investing in modern equipment and technology can help improve efficiency.

4.  Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices : Adopt eco-friendly practices in your cassava processing business to reduce environmental impact and appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers. This includes responsible waste management, energy efficiency, and supporting sustainable farming practices.

5.  Building a strong brand and marketing presence : Create a recognizable brand identity and invest in marketing efforts to increase visibility and attract customers. Utilize both online and offline channels to promote your cassava products and reach your target audience.

Challenges and Risks in the Cassava Processing Business

As with any business venture, there are challenges and risks associated with the cassava processing business:

1.  Fluctuating cassava prices : Cassava prices can be volatile, making it difficult to predict costs and revenues. To mitigate this risk, establish long-term contracts with suppliers and implement cost management strategies.

2.  Inconsistent raw material supply : Unpredictable weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations can affect cassava supply. Diversify your supplier base and maintain a buffer stock of raw materials to minimize disruptions.

3.  Competition from imported products : Imported cassava products can pose a challenge to local producers. Focus on quality, innovation, and competitive pricing to differentiate your products and gain a competitive edge.

4.  Regulatory compliance : Keeping up with regulations and ensuring compliance can be challenging. Stay informed of any changes in legislation and be proactive in meeting regulatory requirements to avoid penalties and maintain a good reputation.

Starting a cassava processing business in Nigeria presents a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs to tap into a thriving market and contribute to the country’s economic growth.

By following the steps outlined in this guide and implementing best practices, aspiring business owners can successfully establish and grow their cassava processing venture. It is essential to conduct thorough planning, market research, and strategic execution to overcome challenges and maximize profitability in the competitive cassava processing industry. Seize this opportunity and make a positive impact on Nigeria’s agricultural and economic landscape.

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Michael Barry

I am Oyeniyi Michael Barry, the Young blogger from the Future. I am flash⚡, a lover of God and anything Tech. I am from Flashschoolgist View Author posts

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Cassava Farming and Processing Business Plan

Executive Summary

Agro Business Cassava Company is an agro-based company that focuses on cultivating improved varieties of cassava and also processing the cassava various products like cassava flake and starch. Agro Cassava Company is based in Imo State and has acquired 20 Hectaces of land for the farm land and also the processing plant. 

As a company based in Owerri, Imo State and we have identified our target customers within Imo State and the neighbouring state and will grow into a business with outstanding sales by year three. 

The processing plant will not only process our own harvested cassava, but we will be getting cassava from local farmers  and process them to different products. 

Nigeria is the highest cassava producer in the world, producing a third more than Brazil and almost double the production capacity of Thailand and Indonesia. Nigeria currently produces about 38 million metric tonnes (MT) per annum; a figure expected to double by 2020. Although the world leader in cassava production, Nigeria is not an active participant in cassava trade in the international markets because most of her cassava is targeted at the domestic food market. Her production methods are primarily subsistence in nature and therefore unable to support industrial level demands. 

Global Demand for Nigerian Cassava Products, the world looks up to Nigeria for her cassava needs because we are the largest producers in the world. Unfortunately, we cannot help them because we consume over 38.7 million tons of our output as food and also our cassava products are more expensive than those of other countries. There is too much pressure on our cassava because it is used as food, raw materials and for export. 

Currently, Agro Business has a main focus, which is to grow healthy and improved varieties of cassava. After harvesting, the cassava are further processed into its end product (flour and starch). Agro Business’s cassavas are grown in the best conditions to ensure that our cassava are disease-free and are or high quality. In other to ensure that our product stands out from our competitors, we employ the best farming technique and equipment to ensure quality cassavas that is fortified with vitamin A. Agro Business Company’s cassava are of the best varieties, the following varieties are recommended for their high yield and processing quality: TMS 30572, NR 8082, NR8083, TMS 4(2) 1425, TMS 81/00110, TMS 92/0326. Other varieties will also be added with time. 

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Objectives

1.2 Mission

1.3 Keys to Success

2. Company Summary

2.1 Company Ownership

2.2 Location and Facilities

2.3 Startup Summary

2.3.1 Required Funds

3. Product Description

3.1 Future Products

4. Market Analysis Summary

4.1 Market Segmentation

4.2 Target Market Segment Analysis

4.3 Industry Analysis  

4.4 Challenges Facing the Cassava Flour Industry

4.5 SWOT Analysis  

4.6 External Environmental Analysis

4.7 Competition and Buying Patterns  

4.7.1 Main Competitors

4.8 Sales Strategy

4.8.1 Sales Forecast

5. Production Summary

5.1 Suppliers

5.2 Receiving  

5.3 Storage

5.4 By-products

5.5 Production Process

6. Strategy and Implementation Summary

6.1 Competitive Edge

6.2 Marketing Strategy

6.3 Web Plan Summary

6.4 Website Marketing Strategy

6.5 Development Requirements

7. Management Summary

7.1 Organisational Structure  

7.2 Management Team

7.3 Personnel Plan

Table: Salaries and Wages

8. Financial Plan  

8.1 Important Assumptions

8.2 Break-even Analysis

Table: Break-even Analysis

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

Table: Profit and Loss 3 years summary

Table: Profit and Loss first year

Table: Profit and Loss second year

Table: Profit and Loss third year

8.4 Projected Cashflow

Chart: Cashflow

Table: Cashflow year two

Table: Cashflow year three

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

Table: Balance Sheet year one

Table: Balance Sheet year two

Table: Balance Sheet year three

Table: Fixed Operating Expenses

8.6 Long term Plan

Frequently Asked Questions About Cassava Farming  

Is Cassava Farming Profitable?

Cassava farming can be very profitable if done right. Nigeria especially, is a big producer of cassava, in fact the biggest in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2023.  

How to Write a Business Plan for Cassava Farming

First, carry out your feasibility research and identify your target market. Determine the resources you will need - labour, capital, land etc). Establish a business structure (if you don’t have one). Create a financial plan/budget. These have all been done in this Cassava Farming Business Plan. You can download and adapt to your own specific needs.

What is the Best Time to Plant Cassava?

Cassava can be normally planted at the beginning of the rainy season in Nigeria (April/May). This can extend to September/October.  

Challenges of Cassava Farming

Some of the challenges you encounter in cassava farming include; long maturation cycle, cassava bacterial blight, cyanogenic levels, etc

What are the Different Stages in Cassava Farming?

Selection of site/land

Clearing and soil preparation

Picking the cassava variety to plant

Planting Cassava stems

Weed control

Fertilisation and manure management

Management of pest and disease

Resources, A. (2024). Cassava Farming and Processing Business Plan. Afribary . Retrieved from https://afribary.com/templates/cassava-farming-and-processing-business-plan

Resources, Africana "Cassava Farming and Processing Business Plan" Afribary . Afribary, 21 Mar. 2024, https://afribary.com/templates/cassava-farming-and-processing-business-plan. Accessed 09 May. 2024.

Resources, Africana . "Cassava Farming and Processing Business Plan". Afribary , Afribary, 21 Mar. 2024. Web. 09 May. 2024. .

Resources, Africana . "Cassava Farming and Processing Business Plan" Afribary (2024). Accessed May 09, 2024. https://afribary.com/templates/cassava-farming-and-processing-business-plan

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Cassava Farming in Nigeria – All You Need to Know

Cassava farming is the cultivation and growing of Cassava crop. Cassava is a staple food in Nigeria. Almost everybody in Nigeria consume cassava directly or indirectly. Cassava farming is also one of the most popular farming ventures in Nigeria.

Cassava is grown in all states in Nigeria. You will see cassava farmers anywhere you go in Nigeria. This is to tell you how popular the growing of cassava is in Nigeria.

Delta, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kogi, Kaduna and Abia are some of the largest Cassava producing states in Nigeria.

About 63 million tons of cassava is produced annually in Nigeria (as at 2021).

Cassava known as Manihot Esculenta is a starchy tuber crop widely grown in tropical areas around the world. It is grown widely in Africa, Asia and Southern America.

Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava (Source: Wikipedia ).  Cassava can be used to produce fufu, garri, and  lafun. These are some of the most consumed foods in Nigeria.

Cassava can also be used for the production of ethanol, cassava flour and starch.

How to Cultivate Cassava in Nigeria

Below are the steps to take to grow Cassava or start a Cassava plantation in Nigeria:

• Selection of Site for Farmland
• Soil Preparation
• Picking the Cassava Variety to Plant
• Climatic Conditions
• Planting Cassava Stems
• Weed Control
• Fertilizer and Manure Management
• Management of Pests and Diseases

1. Farmland to use for Cassava Plantation

You can rent a farmland to plant your cassava crop. However, it is better if the farmland is freehold or leasehold.

The farmland should have a fertile soil. The farmland should also be easily accessible so that the cassava produce can be easily evacuated to the market.

If you do not have irrigation, it is better you situate your farmland in the rain forest belt of Nigeria where you are sure of good rainfall level.

2. Climatic Conditions Suitable for Cassava Farming

Cassava grows in tropical conditions. Cassava will not do well in cold and temperate areas or regions.

Cassava can grow well in all the climatic conditions prevalent in all areas in Nigeria.

Cassava loves water, though it will not do well in water logged areas. During the later stage of the life of the cassava plant, the level of water should be reduced.

3. Soil Suitable for Cassava Cultivation

Cassava does well in sandy soil, sandy loamy soil and sandy laterite soil. Cassava can grow in any soil. Cassava is known to survive in very poor soils. However, it is better if your soil is fertile. Poor soil can be amended with manure, compost and fertilizers.

Cassava prefers areas with dry soil; it will not do well in water logged soils.

The soil pH should be 4.0 – 7.0. Cassava will not reach its optimum yield if grown in very acidic soil. Acidic soil should be amended with lime or dolomite.

4. Soil Preparation

For large Cassava plantation, bulldozers can be used to remove trees, stumps and weeds. The type of bulldozers to be used for land clearing should be the type that will not remove the top soil. Due care and skills should be exercised so that the top soil will not be affected during land clearing.

Ploughing should be done after the removal of the trees, stumps and weeds. After ploughing, harrowing should be done. Several rounds of ploughing and harrowing may be done depending on the condition of the soil. Ridging should be done for areas prone to flooding.

Soil that has poor fertility and low organic matter should be amended with manure and compost. Humus can also be added to the soil.

Phosphatic fertilizers like Single Super Phosphate fertilizer or Diammonium Phosphate Fertilizer should be buried near every cassava stand. Depending on how fertile the soil is, up to 10 grams of Single Super Phosphate fertilizer may be applied near each cassava stand.

Up to 10,000 cassava plants can be accommodated in a one hectare farmland using spacing of 1 metre by 1 metre.

5. Cassava Varieties

Some of the cassava varieties cultivated in Nigeria include TME 419, TMS 90257, TMS 91934, TMS 81/00110, TMS 82/00661, TMS 30001, TMS 30555, TMS 30572 and local cultivars—Nwugo, Nwaiwa, Ekpe and Okotorowa.

Other cassava varieties planted in Nigeria are Game-Changer, Hope, Obasanjo-2, Baba-70, and Poundable.

The list of cassava varieties available in Nigeria can be viewed here .

6. Equipment

The following equipment can be used for Cassava farming:

• Boom Sprayer
• Power Tiller
• Earth Augers
• Motorised Sprayers
• Weeders etc.

7. Irrigation

Irrigation can significantly enhance the yield of cassava. Besides, with irrigation, you can practice high density planting of Cassava.

Irrigation involves the artificial application of water to crops. In the case of Cassava, with irrigation, plant population can be increased and yield can also be enhanced.

The following types of irrigation can be used for Cassava:

Drip Irrigation : Drip irrigation is a type of irrigation that passes water to the root zone of plants. It is the most effective and efficient type of irrigation for Cassava farming.

Sprinkler : Sprinklers spray droplets of water to crops. Sprinklers can be used for Cassava farming.

Furrow Irrigation : This is the passing of water between the ridges or beds on a farmland. Though, this is a type of irrigation, if not well done, it can lead to root rot in plants.

8. Planting Cassava Stems

The cassava stems should be dug into the soil. A spacing of 1 metre by 1 metre should be used when planting the cassava stem.

10 grams of Single Super Phosphate fertilizer should be applied near each cassava stem.

Mychorizhae and other microbial innoculants should be added near each cassava stem. This will increase the number of beneficial microbes in the soil. Nematicides may also be used if the soil is infected with harmful nematodes.

9. Weed Control

Herbicides can be used to kill weeds on Cassava farms. Weeders and other mechanical tools can also be used for weed management in Cassava farming.

Plastic mulches and other types of mulches can be used for the prevention of the growth of weeds.

Tools like cutlasses and hoes can also be used for weed management.

10. Fertilizer and Manure Application in Cassava Farming

Manure and compost should be added to the soil before the transplantation of the Cassava seedlings.

The types of fertilizers that can be used for Cassava farming includes:

• NPK Fertilizers
• Muriate of Potash (MOP)
• Single Super Phosphate Fertilizer (SSP)
• Calcium Nitrate
• Potassium Nitrate etc.

11. Pests and Diseases of Cassava Crop

The following are the pests and diseases that can affect Cassava trees:

• Cassava Brown Leaf Spot
• White Leaf Spot
• Witches Broom
• Cassava Mosaic Disease
• Cassava Bacterial Blight
• Bud Necrosis
• Cassava Root Rot Disease
• Caterpillars
• Nematodes etc.

Source: Plant Village

12. Harvesting

Cassava is usually harvested after 10 – 12 months of planting. To harvest your cassava, you need to partially cut the stem. After the partially cutting the stem, you pull out the remaining stem from the soil, this will lead to the pulling out of the cassava tuber.

Harvesters can also be used to harvest matured cassava tubers. After the harvest of the cassava tubers, you need to peel the tubers and start processing the cassava into the product you want.

How Much Does it Cost to Start a One Hectare Cassava Farm in Nigeria

The cost to start a one hectare Cassava farm is shown as follows:

• Acquisition of one hectare farmland: ₦ 90,000 – ₦ 350,000
• Surveying and Land Documentation: ₦ 90,000 – ₦ 190,000
• Clearing, Ploughing and Harrowing: ₦ 45,000
• Cassava Stem: ₦ 20,000
• Planting: ₦ 11,000
• Irrigation: ₦ 290,000 – ₦ 640,000 (Optional)
• Fertilizers and Manure: ₦ 20,000 – ₦ 100,000 (Depending on soil fertility)
• Pesticides: ₦ 10,000
• Others: ₦ 90,000

For a detailed cost analysis, please contact us through [email protected] .

Advantages of Cassava Plantation

The following are the advantages of having a Cassava farm:

• It can provide income for farmers and gardeners.
• Unemployed youths can engage in cassava farming.
• Cassava produce can be used as food for human and animal.
• Biodiesel and other industrial byproducts can be gotten from Cassava.
• The export of Cassava products can improve the foreign exchange reserve of the nation.

Cassava Market in Nigeria

A large percentage of Cassava produced in Nigeria is consumed locally. Nigeria produced 63 million tons of Cassava in the year 2021, according to Statista .

Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world.

Questions and Answers on Cassava Farming

a) Question: Can I contact you about how to start Cassava farming in Nigeria?

Answer: Yes , you can contact Veggie Grow on 08025141924

b) Question: Can drip irrigation be used for Cassava farming?

Answer: Yes, drip irrigation can be used for Cassava farming. It can also significantly increase the yield of Cassava.

c) Question: How profitable is Cassava farming?

Answer: Cassava farming is very profitable.

Should you wish to know more about Cassava farming or you want to set up a Cassava farm, please contact us on 08025141924 or send an email to [email protected] .

Read our article on the  best month to plant cassava .

Cost of cassava farming per hectare in Nigeria

How many tons of cassava per hectare?

Price of cassava per ton in Nigeria

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Harnessing the Economic Potential of Cassava production in Nigeria

Nigeria is the largest cassava producer globally, accounting for about one-fifth (21%) of total production worldwide. The demand for cassava and its constituents is high in the domestic economy. However, the supply has been unable to meet the huge demand. For instance, the supply-demand gap for High-Quality Cassava Flour stands at about 485,000 metric tonnes  (MT) per annum while the gap for cassava starch is about 290,000MT.

PwC estimates that Nigeria would need about 28.3 million metric tonnes of fresh cassava root planted annually on about 1.2 million hectares of land to meet the country’s demand for cassava by-[products and derivatives.

This publication focuses on harnessing the economic potential of cassava production in Nigeria. 

Download Harnessing the Economic Potential of Cassava production in Nigeria

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Cassava farming And Processing Business Plan In Nigeria (2024 Doc)

Cassava farming And Processing Business Plan In Nigeria 2024 Sample

Business plan for cassava processing plant – Do you know that 80% percent of the food we eat in Nigeria is starch? Which is mainly gotten from cassava products? However, it has become unfortunate that most people still do not have access to these basic Nigerian meals due inefficient production. the truth is that this inefficient production of cassava that covers nearly all our meal could be remedied if there are willing participants.

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On a yearly basis Nigerian Universities graduates over 10,000 students who roam the streets with no job or sources of livelihood, there are two batches of NYSC that passes out yearly numbering over 3,000 people, these numbers are so alarming and not engaging them in agricultural schemes has made food sufficiency becomes a huge issue.

Meanwhile, instead of waiting for a job to come to you, why not indulge in one of the most lucrative farming today, cassava farming and production has over the years been the source of income to the Nigerian economy , in fact outside of crude oil, cassava is one of the major export of Nigeria, in the year 2009, 19% percent of cassava production the world over was from Nigeria, that is about 45 million metric tonnes, imagine if more hands were encouraged, the numbers would have improved by now, without  a doubt.

Hurry Now! Get the Updated Cassava farming And Processing Business Plan In Nigeria feasibility study PDF (Including The Financial Projections), pay N10,000 to

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Nigeria is regarded as the largest producers of cassava, helping the nations GDP, although there are stiff competition from the likes of Cameroon, Ghana, Benin Republic, Senegal, Mali, it goes to show that cassava is a west African crop, this also means that if there are fewer people in the cassava framing business in Nigeria , there is likelihood that one of these west African nations will overtake Nigeria in the production of cassava.

The world has so much evolved that we now have a standard cassava processing; this gives it the high importance it has in the country. Do you know that even deciding to venture in the production of this crop requires you start with a feasibility study on cassava farming so as not to get lost and probably not waist resources. Cassava production and processing has a huge potential for growth and expansion, going by the amount of finished products that can be gotten from processing cassava.

Profitability Of Cassava farming In Nigeria

It will be an economic crime to over look the importance of cassava in the economic growth of Nigeria, as stated earlier, Nigeria accounts for the over 19% of cassava production in the world, which also hints at a room for improvement, cassava regarded as king of crops after yam has been a source of income even before the coming of the colonial masters.

Cassava crops is very valuable in the market, the demand has remained constantly high, take for example, every tribe in Nigeria consume cassava, either one way or the other, the truth is even if you avoid foods made from cassava, foods such as Garri, Abacha, Akpu etc you will likely not escape buy chips and other finished products made from starch, examples of some finished produce from cassava (i) Chips (ii) flour (iii) Glucose syrup (iv) Starch (v) Ethanol (vi) Caramel etc there are also animal feeds made from cassava.

As it is you cannot actually go a full day without having to use something made from cassava. This has underlined the importance of cassava and has made the demand for it so high which could as well be translated to money in the pocket of individuals who are into cassava farming and processing business in Nigeria .

By now you should be looking for a way to take advantage of any government agricultural scheme that supports individual farmers, this could help you to operate with an increased budget. The truth is that there is massive opportunity for new investors in the cassava farming, production and processing business.

How Do You Get Started?

Here are the things you need to do to get started with your own cassava farming and processing business in Nigeria;

– Get A farming Site – In farming cassava, it is paramount to have a site for it, a site good for farming. A site can only be good for farming when the soil is fertile and can grow crops, not every soil can do that. There is also an option of testing the soil where you intend to plant, a visit to IITA will help you in knowing if the soil at the site you choose will be good for farming cassava or maybe the brand of cassava you choose you plant.

– Choose A Cassava Type To farm – There are various varieties of cassava crop out there, it will be important to know the one that will best suit your plans. in fact having a business plan to this effect will give you a hint on what you should be doing as regarding the variety you want to farm. There are about ten varieties of cassava that can be processed.

– Prepare Your Cassava farming Site for farming – Before you begin your planting, it is important you prepare your farming land in order to achieve desired result, the application of a total herbicide – Round up (a glyphosate) will go a long way if applied at least ten days before you start planting your cassava.

Note of this you a Cassava farming And Processing Business Plan In Nigeria, that will guide you into the farming season.

Once payment is made for the Cassava farming And Processing Business Plan In Nigeria feasibility study PDF, send the following (i) a valid email address and (ii) your payment details to any of these numbers – 07039768549 .

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i want to start a cassava food sustainability project in northern Uganda can you help

I am in the cassava flour production. pls i to know the business for it and the viability of the business.

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pls can i be linked to any agro farm….am a graduate of medical biochemistry but very vast in research analysis like phytochemistry and more….pls help me get fixed Dr…THANKS

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Cassava Farming Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » Agriculture Sector

Are you about starting a cassava farm? If YES, here’s a complete sample cassava farming business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a cassava farming business. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample cassava farm marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for cassava farms. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

If you live in the united states, you may not know the value of going into commercial cassava farming. This is so because it is not a popular area of farming in the US. But do you know that cassava is a major raw material cum ingredient in the production of alcoholic beverages ?

It is also a major source of carbohydrates for most Africans. Cassava can be used in the production of biofuel, animal feed, laundry starch and for medicinal use. The good news is that cassava can be cultivated in the United States of America.

Cassava farming is known to be a profitable business and over the years, it has evolved from small scale into a global industry in most countries where it is carried out. If you are considering starting a commercial cassava farming business, the good news is that you can’t get it wrong. This is because cassava is consumed by both human and livestock in different forms.

It is important to state that starting a cassava farming business comes with its own fair share of challenges, but that does not rule out the fact that it is indeed a profitable business venture. An aspiring entrepreneur can either choose to start a cassava farm on a small scale or on a large scale depending on their financial status.

So, if you have decided to go into cassava farming, then you should ensure that you carry out thorough feasibility studies and also market survey. This will enable you properly locate the business in a good location and then hit the ground running.

Business plan is yet another very important business document that you should not take for granted in the bid to launch your own cassava farming business. Below is a sample cassava farming business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no difficulty.

A Sample Cassava Farming Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Businesses in the cassava farming industry primarily grow different species of cassava for different purposes. As a matter of fact, worldwide, 800 million people depend on cassava as their primary food staple especially in Sub – Saharan Africa, South America and some parts of Asia.

Cassava is known to be the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is indeed a major staple food in Africa, providing basic food for over five million people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of dried cassava.

Cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Although it is often called yucca in Spanish and in the United States, it is important to state that it differs from the yucca, an unrelated fruit-bearing shrub in the Asparagaceae family.

The Cassava Farming Industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much thriving in countries such as Nigeria , Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia and Republic of the Congo et al. In 2014, global production of cassava root was 268 million tones, with Nigeria as the world’s largest producer of nearly 55 million tones or 21 percent of the world total.

As a matter of fact, with the recent advancement in technology, farmers can now comfortably grow crops such as cassava in a country where such crops can hardly survive.

One thing is certain when it comes to commercial cassava farming, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies before choosing a location for cultivating your cassava, you are more likely not going to struggle to grow the cassava and also to sell your cassava because there are always food processing companies, laundry starch production companies, biofuel production companies, pharmaceutical companies and consumers out there who are ready to buy from you.

Lastly, with commercial cassava farming in the United States, it will pay you not to only cultivate cassava and sell them to manufacturing companies that depend on cassava as a major raw material. You can as well start a complimentary business like cassava processing plant; producing and packaging laundry starch, animal feed or any other product that can be gotten from cassava.

The bottom line is that if you have enough farmland (space) and you are interested in maximizing commercial cassava farming, you are sure going to make huge profits from the business.

2. Executive Summary

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is a registered commercial farm that will be based in the outskirts of Dallas, Texas – United States. We have done our detailed market research and feasibility studies and we were able to secure a well – situated and suitable farm land to start our commercial cassava farm.

Our commercial cassava farm is going to be a standard farm hence will be involved in both commercial cassava cultivation, laundry starch and animal feed production. We will be involved in both organic commercial cassava farming and non – organic commercial cassava farming.

We have put plans in place that will help us launch a standard and world-class cassava processing plant within the first three years of officially running Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. We will produce laundry starch and animal feeds and ensure that they flood the market both in the United States and in other countries of the world.

We want to compete with the best in the industry, which is why aside from the fact that we have secured the required farm land and most of the farming equipment and machines, we have also hired some key employees who are currently undergoing training so as to fit into the ideal picture of the 21 st  century commercial cassava farm workforce that we want to build.

We are in the commercial cassava farming business because we want to leverage on the vast opportunities available in the commercial farming industry to contribute our quota in growing the U.S. economy, in national food production, raw materials production for industries, to export agriculture produce from the United States to other countries and over and above to make profit.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is well positioned to become one of the leading commercial cassava farms in the United States of America, which is why we have been able to source for the best hands and farm machineries to run the farm with.

We have put process and strategies in place that will help us employ best practices when it comes to commercial cassava farming processes and laundry starch and animal feeds production as required by the regulating bodies in the United States of America.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is a family business that is owned by Mr. Akin Williams and his immediate family members. The farm cum business will be fully and single handedly financed by Akin Williams and his immediate family members.

Before starting Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc., Akin Williams has worked with some of the leading commercial farms and laundry starch production plants in the United States of America; he has a degree (B.Sc.) in Agricultural Science from A & M University Texas.

3. Our Products and Services

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is a world class commercial farm that is committed to cultivating organic and non – organic cassava for both the United States’ and the global market. We are in business to produce both food and raw materials for people and industries in commercial quantities.

We will also ensure that we operate a standard cassava processing and packaging plant (laundry starch and animal feed production) as part of our complimentary business.

We are in this line of business to make profits, and we will ensure that we do all that is allowed by the law of the United States of America to achieve our business goals and objectives. These are the areas we will concentrate on in our commercial cassava farms. If need arises we will definitely cultivate related crops;

• Cultivation of numerous cassava varieties (organic and non – organic)
• Production of laundry starch and animal feeds

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our Vision is to become one of the leading commercial cassava farms and laundry starch and animal feed production brand not just in the United States of America but also on the global stage.
• Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is a world class commercial cassava farm that is in business to cultivate cassava in commercial quantities, and produce laundry starch and animal feed for both the United States and the international market. We want our well – packaged laundry starch and animal feed to flood every nooks and crannies of the United States and other countries of the world.

Our Business Structure

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is a commercial cassava farm that intends starting small in Dallas – Texas, but hopes to grow big in order to compete favorably with leading commercial cassava farms in the commercial farming industry both in the United States and on a global stage.

We are aware of the importance of building a solid business structure that can support the picture of the kind of world class business we want to own. This is why we are committed to only hire the best hands in and around Texas.

At Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc., we will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, hardworking, dedicated, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stakeholders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as agreed by the management of the farm. In view of the above, Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Operating Officer

General Farm Manager

Administrator/Accountant

Cassava Cultivation Manager/Supervisor

• Laundry Starch and Animal Feeds Production Plant Manager
• Sales and Marketing Executive
• Field Employees
• Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Operating Officer:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Responsible for the planning, management and coordinating all farm activities across the various sections on behalf of the organization
• Supervises other section managers (cassava cultivation manager, laundry starch and animal feed production manager)
• Ensures compliance during project executions
• Provides advice on the management of farming activities across all section
• Responsible for carrying out risk assessment
• Uses IT systems and software to keep track of people and progress of the growth of crops (cassava)
• Responsible for overseeing the accounting, costing and sale of farm produce after harvest
• Represents the organization’s interest at various stakeholders’ meetings
• Ensures that farming goals desired result are achieved, the most efficient resources (manpower, equipment, tools and chemicals et al) are utilized and different interests involved are satisfied. Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily farming activities across the various farming sections
• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the farm
• Serves as internal auditor for the farm
• Responsible for managing the cassava cultivation section of the commercial cassava farm
• Supervises other workers within the department
• Works closely with the General Manager to achieve the organizations’ goals and objectives

Laundry Starch and Animal Feed Production Manager/Supervisor

• Responsible for managing the laundry starch and animal feed production section of the commercial farm

Sales and Marketing Officer

• Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of relevant projects
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
• Responsible for handling business research, makes surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the farm

Field Workers/Contract Staff

• Responsible for preparing farm land for cassava cultivation
• Responsible for watering the crop
• Weeding, fertilizer and pest control application
• Handles farm implements and machines as instructed by the section manager/supervisor
• Assists in handling the harvest of cassava
• Carries out tasks in line with the stated job description
• Assist in transport working tools and equipment from the farm and back to the designated store room
• Handle any other duties as assigned by the line manager

Client Service Executive/Front Desk Officer

• Welcomes guests and clients to the farm by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
• Receives parcels/documents for Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.
• Distributes mails in Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. do not intend to launch out with trial and error hence the need to conduct a proper SWOT analysis.

We know that if we get it right from the onset, we would have succeeded in creating the foundation that will help us build a standard cassava farm that will favorably compete with leading commercial cassava farms in the United States of America.

We are quite aware that there are several large, medium and small scale cassava farms, laundry starch and animal feeds production companies all over Dallas – Texas and even in the same location where we intend locating ours, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be welled equipped to confront our threats.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in the commercial farming industry to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives.

Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.;

Our strength as a commercial cassava farm is the fact that we have healthy relationships with loads of major players (agriculture merchants and manufacturing companies who deal in cassava) in the commercial farms industry; both suppliers and buyers within and outside of the United States.

We have some of the latest commercial farming machines, tools and cassava processing equipment that will help us cultivate cassava in commercial quantities with less stress. Aside from our relationship (network) and equipment, we can confidently boast that we have some the most experienced hands in Dallas – Texas in our payroll.

Our weakness could be that we are a new commercial cassava farm in the United States, and perhaps the fact that cassava farming is not a popular venture in the US. We are aware of this and from our projection will overcome this weakness with time and turn it to a major advantage for the business which is why we are into laundry starch and animal feed production.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities that are available to us cannot be quantified; we know that there are loads of individuals who consume organic and non – organic cassava in different forms both in the United States of America and other parts of the world.

We will ensure that we maximize the opportunities available to commercial cassava farmers. We will ensure that we create business structure and frameworks that will enable us go into biofuel production and the production of other alcoholic beverages from our cassava.

Some of the threats and challenges that we are likely going to face when we start our own commercial cassava farm are global economic downturn that can impact negatively on household spending, bad weather cum natural disasters (draughts, epidemics), unfavorable government policies and the arrival of a competitor (a commercial farm that cultivates same crop – cassava) within same location.

There is hardly anything you can do as regards these threats and challenges other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for your good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

One of the common trends in the commercial cassava farming line of business is that most players in the industry are no longer concentrating only on non – organic cassava farming. They now find it easier to run both organic cassava cultivation and non – organic cassava cultivation. It is a fact that despite that organic food is expensive, the sale is on the increase and it is indeed profitable.

Despite the fact that commercial cassava farming has been in existence since time immemorial, it does not in any way make the industry to be over saturated; commercial cassava farmers are exploring new technology to continue to improve cassava cultivation, preservation and processing processes; mechanized farming has indeed increased the tons of food produced by farmers.

The fact that there is always a ready market for cassava makes the business highly profitable. Lastly, it is a common trend to find standard commercial cassava farmers in the United States run a cassava processing plant business alongside their farm. It is a means of maximizing profit in the business.

8. Our Target Market

It is a known fact that the end consumers of cassava and those who benefit from the business value chain of commercial cassava farming is all encompassing.

Almost every household makes use of products from cassava or consumes cassava in different forms. In essence, a commercial cassava farmer should be able to sell his or her farm produce to as many people as possible including laundries, alcoholic beverage production companies, laundry starch production companies, livestock farmers and other production companies that make use of cassava as raw materials.

We will ensure that we position our business to attract consumers of cassava and production plants that rely on cassava as raw materials not just in the United States of America alone but also other parts of the world which is why we will be exporting some of our farm produce either in raw or processed form to other countries of the world.

Our competitive advantage

The truth is that it is easier to find entrepreneurs flocking towards an industry that is known to generate consistent income which is why there are more commercial farmers in the United States of America and of course in most parts of the world.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is fully aware that there are competitions when it comes to selling commercial farm produce including cassava all over the globe, which is why we decided to carry out thorough research so as to know how to take advantage of the available market in the United States and in other parts of the world.

We have done our homework and we have been able to highlight some factors that will give us competitive advantage in the marketplace; some of the factors are effective and reliable cassava farming processes that can help us sell our produce at competitive prices, good network and excellent relationship management.

Another competitive advantage that we are bringing to the industry is the fact that we have designed our business in such a way that we will operate an all – round standard commercial cassava farm that will also include cassava processing plant (laundry starch and animal feeds production). With this, we will be able to take advantage of all the available opportunities within the industry.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (start – ups commercial cassava farms) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is in the commercial farming business for the purpose of maximizing profit hence we have decided to explore all the available opportunities within the industry to achieve our corporate goals and objectives.

In essence we are not going to rely only on the sale of our farm produce to generate income for the business. Below are the sources we intend exploring to generate income for Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.;

• Cultivation of various species of cassava (both organic and non – organic)
• Production and sale of laundry starch and animal feeds

10. Sales Forecast

We conducted a thorough market survey and feasibility studies and we were able to discover that the sales generated by a commercial farm depends on the size of the farm and the nature of the commercial farm (whether cattle rearing, poultry farming, fish farming, crop cultivation et al).

We have perfected our sales and marketing strategies and we are quite optimistic that we will meet or even surpass our set sales target of generating enough income/profits from the first year of operation and build the business from survival to sustainability.

We have been able to critically examine the agriculture industry cum commercial cassava farm line business, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.

• First Fiscal Year-: $200,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $400,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $750,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown that can impact negatively on household spending, bad weather cum natural disasters (droughts, epidemics), and unfavorable government policies.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are quite aware that the reason why some commercial cassava farms hardly make good profit is their inability to sell off their cassava as at when due. In view of that, we decided to set up a standard cassava processing plant to help us maximize profits.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We want to build a standard and world – class cassava farm that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and businesses).

Over and above, we have perfected our sale and marketing strategies first by networking with agriculture merchants and companies that rely on cassava as their major raw materials. In summary, Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. will adopt the following strategies in marketing our cassava;

• Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to stakeholders in the agriculture industry, livestock farms and production companies that rely on supply of cassava as raw materials and cassava processing plants et al.
• Advertise our business in agriculture and food related magazines and websites
• List our commercial cassava farms on yellow pages ads
• Attend related agriculture and food expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage in direct marketing
• Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street or the city they are operating from must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (both conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business.

We intend growing our business which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means. Below are the platforms we will leverage on to boost our commercial cassava farm brand and to promote and advertise our business;

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events/programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our business
• Install our billboards on strategic locations all around Dallas – Texas
• Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Contact laundries, livestock farms and production companies that rely on supply of cassava as raw materials, agriculture produce merchants and residents in our target areas by calling them up and informing them of Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. and the farm produce we sell
• List our commercial cassava farms in local directories/yellow pages
• Advertise our commercial cassava farms in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles and trucks are well branded with our company logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

If you want to get the right pricing for your farm produce, then you should ensure that you choose a good location for your commercial farm, choose a good breed that will guarantee bountiful harvest, cut the cost of running your farm to the barest minimum.

You must try as much as possible to attract buyers to your farm as against taking your farm produce to the market to source for buyers; with this, you would have successfully eliminated the cost of transporting your harvest to the market and other logistics.

We are quite aware that one of the easiest means of penetrating the market and acquiring loads of customers for our cassava, laundry starch and animal feeds is to sell them at competitive prices hence we will do all we can to ensure that the prices of our cassava are going to be what other commercial cassava farmers would look towards beating.

One thing is certain, the nature of commercial farming makes it possible for farmers to place prices for their farm produce based on their discretion without following the benchmark in the industry. The truth is that it is one of the means of avoiding running into a loss. The easier you sell off your harvested cassava, the better for your business.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for farm produce purchased without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfers for our cassava.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

When it comes to calculating the cost of starting a commercial cassava farm with a cassava processing plant, there are some key factors that should serve as a guide. Factor such as the capacity of cassava processing plant you want to own, the product you want to produce and the size of the commercial cassava farm.

Besides, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to start a world – class commercial farm, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your farm is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

Below are some of the basic areas we will spend our start – up capital in setting up our commercial cassava farm;

• The total fee for incorporating the business in United States of America – $750
• The total cost for payment of insurance policy covers (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) at a total premium – $9,400
• The amount needed to acquire/lease a farm land – $50,000
• The amount required for preparing the farm land – $70,000
• The cost for acquiring the required working tools and equipment/machines/fencing et al – $10,000
• The amount required for purchase of the first set of cassava seedlings et al – $50,000
• The amount required to set up a standard cassava processing plant within the farm facility – $100,000
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $40,000
• The cost of launching an official website – $600
• The amount required for payment of workers for a period of 3 months – $100,000
• Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,000

Going by the report from the detailed research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need an average of $500,000 to start a standard commercial cassava farm with cassava processing plant business in the United States of America. These are some of the equipment that we will need to fully launch our commercial cassava farm,

• Soil cultivator
• Harrow (e.g. Spike harrow, Drag harrow, Disk harrow)
• Stone / Rock / Debris removal implement (e.g. Destoner, Rock windrower / rock rake, Stone picker / picker)
• Broadcast seeder (alternatively: broadcast spreader, fertilizer spreader, or Air seeder)
• Plastic mulch layer
• Transplanter
• Sprinkler system irrigation
• Wheel Barrow

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.  is a family business that will be owned and managed by Akin Williams and his immediate family members.

They are the sole financiers of the business, but may likely welcome other partners later which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources. These are the areas where we intend sourcing for fund for Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc.;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility)

N.B:  We have been able to generate about $100,000 (Personal savings $80,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $400,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to sell our farm produce (organic and non – organic cassava and even processed and packaged laundry starch and animal feeds) a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Akin Williams® Cassava Farms, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our organization’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more as determined by the management of the organization. We know that if this is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts in various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All forms of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Leasing of farm land in Dallas – Texas and preparing the farm land: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Start – up Capital Generation: Completed
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging, Marketing/Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the needed working tools, machines and equipment: Completed
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Farm land Treatment, Health and Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the industry (agriculture farm produce merchants, production companies that rely on supply of cassava as raw materials, fertilizer suppliers and transporter/haulage companies et al): Completed

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IDH Cassava Program

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Since 2018, IDH Cassava Program has transformed the industrial cassava sector in Nigeria as a prototype for Africa through market transformation and improvement in business practices, helping industrial processing factories develop inclusive sustainable supply chains projects and linking them to multinational food companies and access to finance. The program also convenes stakeholder platforms for advocacy, policy dialogue and exchange of noncompetitive information.

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AATF Launches Cassava Mechanisation and Processing Project in Nigeria

• Posted on May 3, 2024
• By J. Muthie
• 2024 , Blog , OFAB
• (0) Comment

(Fasola, Oyo-Nigeria: April 26, 2024) AATF and partners have launched a new project targeting the mechanization of cassava production and processing that would assist Nigeria add value to the crop which the country is acknowledged as the world’s largest producer.

The project inaugurated by the Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde has the objectives of improving access of cassava farmers in Nigeria to updated information, knowledge, and skills, about modern sustainable technologies for cassava production, processing, and utilization.

It is also expected to assist smallholder farmers improve their productivity, incomes, food and nutrition security as well as livelihoods by reducing post-harvest losses and adding values in post-harvest processing.

Dr Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of AATF said that the project aims to improve cassava cultivation, introducing a new technology to process cassava tubers completely and enabling new markets for cassava-based animal feed.

“The innovations involve mechanized cassava production and processing, farmer aggregation and the use of digital tools to demonstrate the economic viability of providing mechanized field services and improved processing technologies to smallholder cassava farmers in Nigeria,” he said.

Dr Kanangire said the project would also assist Nigeria match the domestic supply for processed cassava products to demand while enhancing the export potential of cassava products.

Engr Seyi Makinde, Oyo state Governor commended AATF and partners for situating the project in the state adding that the project which introduces a new value-adding cassava processing machine that utilises the entire crop without peeling has the potentials of transforming the state’s agricultural landscape.

The Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye noted that: “Cassava is a vital crop for our economy and plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods for our people. However, traditional farming methods have often limited our potential for growth and productivity. The introduction of mechanized techniques will not only increase efficiency and yield but also empower our farmers to thrive in today’s competitive market”.

Prof. Garuba Sharubutu, Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria in a remark hailed AATF for the initiative saying that the project has the potentials of impacting positively on the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the South-West Nigeria.

“The establishment of this agroprocessing facility represents a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to enhance value addition within Nigeria’s agricultural value chain. As we are all aware, value addition is a key component of our federal government’s aspiration to transform the agricultural sector and ensure its sustainability and competitiveness on both national and global scales.

The AATF agroprocessing facility is a testament to the commitment of all stakeholders involved in advancing Nigeria’s agricultural agenda. By providing a platform for the processing and transformation of agricultural produce into high-value products, this facility will not only increase the income of farmers but also create employment opportunities, stimulate rural development, and contribute to the overall economic growth of our nation,” he added.

The project inauguration which also witnessed the commissioning of a cassava processing facility had in attendance cassava farmers, processors, traditional rulers, and heads of national research institutions in Nigeria.

About AATF (www.aatf-africa.org)

Founded in 2003 to address Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology, AATF believes that the agricultural sector is a key foundational pillar as Africa consolidates its economic growth and carves out its new position as a major global economic powerhouse and the next growth market in the world. It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism that would facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for use by smallholder farmers in SSA.

For further information. Photos and video contact:

Alex Abutu , Communication Officer (West and Central Africa), AATF (Phone:+2348068701960) Email:  [email protected]

Dr. Canisius Kanangire Executive Director

Dr. Canisius Kanangire joins AATF from the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), a pan-African inter-governmental institution, based in Abuja, Nigeria, where he served as the Executive Secretary from September 2016.

He holds a PhD and an MSc degree in Aquatic Sciences, with specialization in Freshwater Ecology, Aquaculture and Wetlands management, both from the University of Namur, then “Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix (FUNDP), Namur (Belgium). He also holds a University Degree (Licence) in Biology with a major in Environmental Sciences and an Undergraduate Certificate (Graduat) in Biology and Chemistry both from the “Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu,” in D.R. Congo.

Dr. Kanangire has over 35 years experience in leadership roles, having served previously as the Executive Secretary of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) between 2011 and 2016 and Regional Manager for Capacity Building, and Head of Strategic Planning and Management at the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) between 2004 and 2011. Prior to these international positions, Dr Kanangire served as a lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Rwanda and member of the Board of Directors of ISAR, the Rwandan Institute for Agricultural Research that was restructured to become the current Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB). He is an astute administrator and experienced technocrat with a wealth of knowledge in leadership and management of international institutions, including developing strategic partnerships and networks at regional, continental and global levels. A national of Rwanda, Dr. Kanangire speaks various languages including English, French, Kiswahili and Kinyarwanda.

Fatuma Wario Administrative & Events Coordinator

Fatuma Wario holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the Kenya Methodist University, a Higher Diploma in Human Resource Management and a Diploma in Business Administration and Management from Kenya Institute of Management.

Before, joining AATF she worked with FARM Africa Regional office in Nairobi as an administrative secretary for seven years, the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development – AID (CORDAID) for a period of one year and with GTZ for four years as an administrative assistant. Fatuma is responsible for general office management, management of transport services, and events organisation among other administrative duties. She is Kenyan.

Shehu Muhammad Dandago Chief Agronomist

Shehu Muhammad Dandago has over 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience in both Industrial, public, private, and International non-governmental (NGO) organizations as Laboratory Analyst, Research Associate, Food Security, and Seed System Agronomist in both Emergency and Developmental programming.

He has a master’s degree in Agronomy from Bayero University Kano (BUK) Nigeria, Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management, and B.Sc. Degree in Applied Biology. Shehu is a Nigerian national.

Shey R. Tata Member, Board of Trustees

Shey holds a BA in International Relations from Amherst College in Massachusetts, an MBA in Finance and Management from Yale University School of Management and a CPA from the University of Maryland USA.

Shey began his professional life working as a Team Leader and Senior Economic Development Specialist for a Private Public Partnership entity for economic development in Washington DC. He later joined the World Bank where he worked as a financial analyst. He later took leave from the World Bank and was appointed as the Interim Director of Finance for an International Agriculture Research Association for West Africa.

Shey later returned to the World Bank where he served under different positions leading teams and advising decision makers in fiduciary management, governance, institutional and program evaluation, administration, resource mobilization and outreach in Africa, Asia and the US. In recent times, Shey has also consulted and provided advice to international development (AfDB and IFAD).

Prof. Jennifer Ann Thomson Board Chair Emeritus

Prof. Jennifer Thomson has a BSc in zoology from the University of Cape Town, an MA in genetics from Cambridge University and a PhD in microbiology from Rhodes University in South Africa. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and spent a sabbatical year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a lecturer, senior lecturer and Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa before starting and being the Director of the Laboratory for Molecular and Cell Biology for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. She then became Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Cape Town (UCT), a post she held for 12 years until the Department merged with the Department of Biochemistry. She is now Emeritus Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at UCT. Her main current research interests are in the development of maize resistant to the African endemic maize streak virus (MSV) and tolerant to drought. The MSV work has been shown in glasshouse trials to give excellent protection and was the first transgenic crop developed in Africa, by Africans for an African problem. Other positions held in the past include the Deputy Dean of Science at UCT, chair and member of the South African Genetic Engineering Committee, co-founder and chair of SA Women in Science and Engineering, and Vice-President of the SA Academy of Science. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and of UCT and Vice-Chair of the board of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA). She is a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation which advises the Minister of Science and Technology and chairs the South African chapter of the Organization for Women in Science in the Developing World. Honours received include the L’Oreal/UNESCO prize for Women in Science and an honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne in Paris. She is a regular writer and speaker internationally on the subject of genetically modified organisms, especially crops and foods derived from them. These include addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos for two successive years, and the United Nations as the guest of Secretary General Kofi Annan. Her three books, Genes for Africa, Seeds for the Future and Food for Africa are geared towards the interested layperson.

Prof. Maggie Gill Member, Board of Trustees

Professor Maggie Gill has had a 40-year career in the agri-food sector, split almost evenly between conducting research, managing research programme funding and advising research funders, in the UK , New Zealand, European Commission and, for international development, the World Bank and numerous national international development departments.

Her original interests were in livestock nutrition (mainly grass-fed sheep and cattle) but over time those broadened to interests on interactions between agriculture more generally, with the environment and again food systems and in the last two decades to the interface between science and policy.

She was the first Chief Scientific Adviser on Rural Affairs and the Environment in the Scottish Government and currently chairs both the Scottish Science Advisory Council and BBSRC’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Strategy Panel. She was instrumental in creating the Zoonoses from Emerging Livestock Systems research programme ( ZELS Programme Impact Report – UKRI ) whilst a Senior Research Fellow at DFID, was a member of the Sata, Evidence and Science Working Group of the RSE post-Covid-19 Futures Commission ( Home – RSE Post-Covid-19 Futures Commission :RSE Post-Covid-19 Futures Commission (rsecovidcommission.org.uk) and a member of the Science legacy of Covid Working Group Working Group of the SSAC ( SSAC Report – Building on the Science Legacy of Covid-19 in Scotland.pdf (scottishscience.org.uk)

She is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Aberdeen, currently living in rural Aberdeenshire.

Joanne Muthie Digital Communications Officer

Joanne is an experienced Digital Media Specialist with a demonstrated history of working across integrated communication and marketing agencies in Africa. Joanne’s love for technology merged with communications has seen her pursue new skills and technologies in order to more effectively meet client needs towards business goals.

Joanne is a trained scientist who has honed her skills as an all-rounded digital communications specialist and brings onboard experience in social media  strategy and community management, media buying on social media, search engines as well as local publishers’ engagement, use of influencers, and general digital partnerships.

Over the last decade, She has worked with Ogilvy Africa through their flagship 360 IMC Agency- Blueprint Africa and Oxygene MCL, a boutique marketing and communication agency servicing local and international brands such as KRA, KCB Bank, Safaricom, Radisson Blu, Simba Corp, JCG, Mondelez Africa, Ecobank, and WWF. Joanne is also passionate about digital media production through creative design, animations, websites/microsites, and mobile applications’ end-to-end project management. In addition, she brings insights and knowledge management through social listening and analytics. Joanne is a Kenyan national.

Josephine Mailu Head, Human Resources

Josephine Mailu is a Human Resources practitioner holding an MBA in Human Resources and Strategic Management from Daystar University and a BBA in Human Resources Management from Kenya Methodist University.

Before joining AATF, Josephine worked with the International Medical Corps – Kenya, a non-profit relief and development organisation dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training. Prior to that, she worked with Save the Children International, Somalia country office- an organisation focusing on children’s rights, AMURT International Kenya and South Sudan, and Palma Group.

Ms. Josephine Mailu has over 20 years’ experience in Human Resources Management in HR Strategy formulation and implementation, Organizational Effectiveness, Culture Transformation, Staffing and Recruitment, Succession Planning, Talent Management, Compensation and Benefits, Performance Management, Formulation of HR Policy & Procedure and Employee Relations.

Josephine is responsible for the human resource function at AATF. Josephine is Kenyan.

David Tarus Program Officer – OFAB

David Tarus holds an MSc degree in Managing the Environment: Risk Assessment of GM crops from the Aberystwyth University, Wales, and University of Adeline, Southern Australia BSc (Hons) degree in Agricultural Education and Extension from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

David also holds other professional training among them training in Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialisation from the University of California, Davis, USA, Project Planning, Management and Evaluation from the Institute for Capacity Development, Windhoek, Namibia, Certified Private Seed Inspector in Kenya, Lead Instructor for Preventive Controls for Human Food accredited by US-based Preventive Controls Alliance(FSPCA), Results Based Management training administered by Regional Centres for Learning and Evaluation of Results, Qualified ISO 9001:2015 on Quality Management Systems, Understanding and Implementation and Fertilizer Policy and Marketing Strategies in Africa.

Before joining AATF, David worked with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, Trans Nzoia District, as an extension officer where he was instrumental in the implementation of both the National Agricultural and Livestock Extension Project (NALEP) and the Kenya Agricultural Productivity Project (KAP) in the district. David has extensive experience spanning over a period of 13 years in policy, program coordination, partnership management, and international policy and regulations having worked in partnership-based collaborations across Africa, mainly gained at AATF in different project leadership and coordination roles involving multiple partners and stakeholders.

Working with partners, he has provided strategic leadership in several regional collaborative efforts in the development sector. He has been consulted by the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) under the auspices of its Biosafety Capacity Building Project for sub-Saharan Africa as an expert and adviser in bio-regulatory issues. Previous roles at AATF involved coordinating efforts in seed sub-sector policy and regulatory improvement in six countries of Africa, implementation of policy on use of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides in six countries of Sub-Sahara Africa, and facilitation of regulatory aspects of aflatoxin control in maize and peanuts project in conjunction with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) and COMESA. David also coordinated food safety capacity enhancement efforts involving the private sector, regulators and policy makers, an effort that was implemented in Eastern and Western Africa.  David is a Kenyan national.

Prof. Aggrey Ambali Chair, Board of Trustees

Prof. Aggrey Ambali is currently serving as Head of Science, Technology and Innovation Hub (NSTIH) at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency, where he oversees the development and implementation of programs in education, health, and science and technology. He has also served in other positions at the NEPAD Agency, including Director of Policy Alignment and Program Development, Coordinator of the African Biosciences Initiative, and Coordinator of Science and Technology for the Southern Africa region.

He has been actively involved in science, technology and innovation programmes of the African Union.

He coordinated the work of the African Union High Level Panel on Science, Technology and Innovation which was appointed in July 2012 and mandated to prepare a ten-year African Union Science, Technology and Innovation strategy for Africa, 2014- 2024 (STISA 2024). Outside the NEPAD Agency, he served as an external member of Governing Council of the University of Namibia, and member of the Innovation Council of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

He serves on several committees including the Technical Advisory Committee of the Biosafety Program of ICGEB, Chair of the Management Committee of the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), member of the Advisory Panel of the Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BecA), etc.

Prof. Aggrey Ambali is currently coordinating the process of establishing a high-level African Union panel on harnessing emerging technologies for Africa’s development. He obtained a PhD degree in Population Genetics from Dalhousie University, Canada, Masters of Science in Aquaculture from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from University of Malawi.

He served as a faculty member at the University of Malawi where he became a Professor of Biology in 2003.

Dr. Boniface K. Kaberia (Ph.D.) Member-Board of Trustees

Dr. Boniface K. Kaberia (Ph.D.)

Dr. Kaberia is the current Senior Technical Advisor to Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development. He also sits on the National Technical Committee (under the Principal Secretary State Department of Livestock Office) which is developing the livestock master plan to actively champion meat industry modernization and consumer safety assurance through industry bodies.

Dr. Kaberia is a seasoned expert in food security and livestock development. He has over 25 years of experience in leadership and senior management positions in development and non-governmental organisations across East Africa, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and Ethiopia.

Prior to his appointment as Senior Technical Advisor, Dr. Kaberia was the Chief of Party/Livestock Advisor for the $25 million Feed the Future Flagship project funded by USAID. He also oversaw the ACDI VOCA-implemented Resilience and Economic Growth in the Arid Lands – Accelerated Growth (REGAL-AG) project in Kenya. During this time, the REGAL-AG project received USAID head office recognition for outstanding performance in its implementation.

He also served as Livestock Sector Manager for Kenya Markets Trust (KMT), where he is credited with the revision of the KMT’s livestock sector vision to align it with Kenya’s livestock industry’s much-needed systemic transformation as a major contributor to the country’s economic growth and source of job creation.

Dr. Kaberia’s other previous positions include serving as the Regional Coordinator, Winrock International for the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer programs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Mali, and Guinea supporting country offices to mainstream value chain and market systems development approaches to the programs. During this period, Dr. Kaberia established the Winrock International Country Office in Ethiopia and assisted in talent recruitment including that of the Country Director. Prior to this, he was the Program Manager for USAID-funded Partnership for Safe Poultry in Kenya Project under Winrock International. In addition, Dr. Kaberia was instrumental in pioneering FARM-Africa’s Sidai Animal Health franchise model which currently operates in Kenya and was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Kaberia, a Kenyan national, holds a Ph.D. in International Rural Development from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. In addition, he holds certification in Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics and has many publications to his credit.

Love Unini Adegbola Administration Assistant – Abuja

Love Unini Adegbola is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria(CIPM) and an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History & International Studies (Second Class Upper) from Kogi State University and is currently pursuing an MBA degree from the National Open University of Nigeria.

Before joining AATF, Love worked as Administrative Officer/ Corporate Social Responsibility Champion for Grant Thornton Nigeria (World’s 7th largest accounting network) for over 6 years. She has also volunteered for the World Health Organization in Nigeria as well as other local NGOs.

Love is well vast in general administration, procurement & logistics, event planning, and human resources management.

At AATF, Love Adegbola is responsible for general office management, assets management, management of transport services, and events organization among other administrative duties.

She is a Nigerian National.

Verenardo Meeme

Program Officer – Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology Technology (OFAB)

Verenardo Meeme is a passionate development communication specialist with over eight year’s professional experience in science journalism, knowledge management, media training and media management. Meeme is currently a programme officer, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology Technology (OFAB), at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).

Before joining AATF, Meeme worked as a communication and knowledge management programme officer at Kilimo Trust, a not-for-profit organization working on agriculture for development across East Africa. He has also been the Kenya correspondent for Cornell Alliance for Science that seeks to promote access to scientific innovation as a means of enhancing food security, improving environmental sustainability, and raising the quality of life globally.

Meeme previously worked at Rootooba Limited as a communications specialist and was the founding editor of PanAfrican Agriculture magazine . He was also involved in Rootooba’s knowledge management engagement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Food safety programmes. Before joining Rootooba, he worked as a multi-media practitioner at SciDev.Net, an online platform that brings science and global development together through news and analysis, and at Citizen Television’s online desk as an assistant editor.

He also worked at the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications as a communications consultant, and at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission as a cohesion monitor. Meeme was a lead consultant in the design and implementation of several NGO initiatives inclined to science-based communications for varied clientele and has produced documentaries for Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture.

He has published over 200 articles focusing on biotechnology and biosafety online and in the print media. He formerly served as an advisor to the Meru County Member of Parliament on media relations, messaging, branding, and political communication strategies. He is the current Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA) organizing secretary.

Meeme was named Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology’s 2019 overall winner for excellent science journalism and finalists in Africa and is a 2018 Cornell Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellow. He holds a master’s degree in communication studies with a specialization in development communication from the University of Nairobi, a bachelor’s degree in communication and public relations from Moi University, a diploma in journalism from the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication and a Global Leadership Fellowship certificate from Cornell University, USA.  Verenardo is a Kenyan national.

Erasmus Mwangi Budget and Grants Management officer

Erasmus Mwangi holds an MBA (Finance) and a B.Com(Accounting), both from the University of Nairobi. He is also Certified Public Accountant and a member of ICPAK.

Prior to joining AATF, Erasmus worked at the Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) as a Grants Specialist, where he supported the budgeting, grants administration, compliance and reporting functions for 100+ grants from major international donors including The Gates Foundation, World Bank, Give Directly, GIZ and major European and American Universities. Before joining IPA, Erasmus worked as a consultant in Kenya and Zimbabwe where he provided grants and financial consultancy services to various Non-Profit bodies. Erasmus also gained extensive sub-grants management experience while working at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) as a Regional Grants and Finance Officer in the Total War against Aids (TOWA) Project.

As the Budget and Grants Management officer, Erasmus oversees the budgeting, expenditure and compliance processes across the AATFs grantees who are spread across 23 African countries. He guides the preparation of, and adherence to institutional budgets as well as the partners’ project budgets.

Erasmus is a Kenyan national.

Prof. Bernard Slippers Member, Board of Directors

Bernard Slippers is the Director of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) and the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme at the University of Pretoria.

He is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology. Bernard’s research focus is on the ecology, evolution, and management of insects and fungi that affect plant health. He uses genetic, genomic, and chemical tools to characterize patterns of diversity and the global spread of invasive plant pests and pathogens, as well as their population dynamics, communication systems, mating strategies, and community structures.

Bernard is committed to capacity development and has acted as supervisor or co-supervisor to more than 100 postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. and MSc students. Bernard is also passionate about the transformation of science in Africa (and beyond) towards a more transdisciplinary and competitive system with a greater impact on society. Much of this has been done through his active involvement with Academies and the global Young Academy movement. He is a founding member and past co-chair/executive committee member of both the Global Young Academy and the South African Young Academies of Science.

With these and other collaborators, he has also been involved in various projects to advance Young Academies and development of research capacity. A prominent example is the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP), amongst others.

Bernard is also the Founding Director of Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, a transdisciplinary research network hub and campus, and currently leads a university-industry-government research investment platform called Innovation Africa @UP.

H.E. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah

Member,Board of Trustees

His Excellency Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah is the Ambassador & Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the UN Office in Geneva, World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other offices in Geneva.

He currently Chairs the Africa Group of Ambassadors in Geneva (April 2021-June 2021) and is the Vice Chair for UNCTAD’s Commission on Science and Technology Development’s 25th session and a member of the Advisory Board of the UNCTAD TDB Advisory Body (June 2021-July 2022). Ambassador Prof. Kah is also one of three Ambassadors designated as Friends of the Chair of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) General Assembly.

Prior to his appointment in Geneva, Professor Kah served as the Founding Chairman of Zenith Bank, The Gambia, Chairman of the Board of Directors, of Africa Consulting & Trading Group (ACT), Dakar, Senegal, and as the first Gambian-born third Vice-Chancellor of The University of The Gambia (UTG) from 2009- 2015 and recently appointed as a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Prior to becoming UTG’s Vice Chancellor/Rector in 2009, Professor Muhammadou M.O. Kah spent 4 years in Nigeria as the Founding Dean of the School of Information Technology and Communications at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) where he doubled for a year as Interim Dean of the School of Business & Entrepreneurship. Professor Kah was appointed as Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost (DVC) and Professor of Information Technology & Computing at the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State (2017-2020). He also served as Vice Rector for Technology & Innovation; Professor and Founding Dean of the School of Information Technology & Engineering at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan (2015-2017). He served on the Board of Trustees and Governing councils of the American University of Nigeria and the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.

Professor Kah has held teaching and leadership positions in the USA, Africa, the Middle East (Gulf countries), and Eastern Europe (Caucuses). A regular contributor to the “Africa Module” in the Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) at Cambridge Judge Business School, he was appointed as an honorary Fellow of the Judge Business School and the Digital Innovation Centre, University of Cambridge (2016-2017). Professor Kah is passionate about advancing and strengthening computing, engineering, science, and leading strategy & innovation in organizations. To complement that he also provides thought leadership in information technologies & computing education in higher education whilst also serving as a member of international panels such as the Malabo Montpellier Panel, the Euro Science Forum 2018, and the Africa Europe Foundation, amongst others.

Completing his BSc, MSc. and Ph.D. at the Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, one of the top engineering and technology management universities in the USA, Professor Kah also holds a Master of Science in Finance (Financial Engineering) from George Washington University, Washington, DC and a Postgraduate Diploma (Dip SI) in Strategy and Innovation from the Said Business School, University of Oxford, UK.

Professor Kah has completed several Executive Education Programs: University of Cambridge, Judge Business School: the Advanced Leadership (ALP) Program; Advanced Leadership Re-Union & Follow-Up Program in Singapore and Beyond Innovation: Business Models for Transformation & Competitive Advantage; Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School: Transforming Leadership for 21st Century Africa, and The AGA KHAN University, Graduate School of Media & Communication: The Voice of Leadership; Inspiration, Influence & Impact. In Corporate Governance, he has completed the highly reputable International Directors Program (IDP) as an Internationally Certified Director from INSEAD, through the INSEAD Singapore and Fontainebleau, France, Campus. Professor Kah is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), in London, UK.​

Kehinde Saheed Jimoh  

Program Officer-Seed Systems and Agribusiness

Kehinde Saheed Jimoh has over ten years of multidisciplinary experience in agricultural market systems, agricultural value chain development, and seed systems. He has a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Prior to joining AATF, he worked with the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) on secondment from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and he worked with a cross departmental team to implement actions on Nigerian seed industry development and strengthening of operations and administration of seed activities in Nigeria. At FMARD, he worked at the office of the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2014-2016 appraising the impact of government and donor sponsored programs on beneficiaries and with the Root and Tuber Division, Federal Department of Agriculture, where he worked directly with cassava farmers and SMEs providing technical guidance on market intelligence, post-harvest handling and value addition.

Kehinde has considerable experience working with donor funded projects such as Bill and Melinda Gates funded Cassava bread Initiative in Nigeria (2012-2014) and the Gates Foundation sponsored Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, BASICS (2015-2025). In 2021, he worked as a part-time consultant for USW, the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry, to assist the organization in increasing brand awareness in Nigeria.

As Program Officer-Seed Systems and Agribusiness at AATF, Kehinde is responsible for assisting in the project management, coordination, reporting, and accountability obligations of the Early Generation Seed (EGS) Nigeria Project. He is a Nigerian citizen.

Bernard Oddy Ehirim 

Programme Officer-Stewardship

Bernard Oddy Ehirim is an experienced Crop scientist with a core bias in plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology. He has 12 years working experience with the international and national agricultural research system where he was involved in laboratory and field research, development, and improvement of crop varieties across Africa. He holds an MSc in Crop Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria with Scholarship from Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and a BSc in Plant Science and Biotechnology from Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.

Before joining AATF, Bernard was a Research fellow with the AfricaRice center from 2012 to 2014 and worked as a Principal Research Officer, with the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) Badeggi, Nigeria where he worked as a plant breeder and biotechnologist of their mandate crops. He was the Biotechnology Laboratory manager of same institute, a member of the rice breeding task force (RBTF) for Africa, coordinated and was directly involved in the research that led to the eventual nomination, registration and release of the first ever submergence rice variety in Nigeria and the first ever Hybrid rice variety in Nigeria.  Bernard was the Trial Manager to the NEWEST rice project for Africa, a member of the grant and proposal writing committee of NCRI that attracted several grants for the research and development of rice in Nigeria, assisted the seminar department in arranging seminars as Deputy Coordinator, Seminar Series NCRI. He is also a member of several professional bodies related to Agriculture, Research, and Development.

Bernard’s publications include several journal articles, and conference papers presented at international and national conferences. As a Programme Officer-Stewardship at AATF, Bernard is responsible for supporting the compliance and monitoring of activities related to stewardship, formulation and implementation of strategies and plans to facilitate effective and efficient product delivery through proper monitoring and regulatory compliance. Bernard has always been involved and excited to be part of technologies that help bring food and extra income to the table of resource-poor African farmers. He is a Nigerian.

Jacquine Kinyua Executive Officer

Jacquine Kinyua has training in business administration and public relations. Before joining AATF, she worked with East African Foundry Works Group of Companies for ten years as an Executive Secretary to the Directors and as the Office Services Manager. Prior to that she worked with General Motors (K) Ltd in the Personnel Department for a period of one year; and with United Touring Company/Hertz Car Hire company for a period of less than one year. Jacquine is a Kenyan national.

Joyce Njuguna

Monitoring Evaluation & Learning Officer

Joyce is a dedicated Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning specialist with extensive experience in food systems and agripreneurship projects. Cumulatively, she has over 10 years working experience and has developed sound expertise in designing MEL plans, conducting evaluations, result based management and producing quality reports with best practices and lessons learnt. Through her MEL work, Joyce has over the years gained extensive involvement in stakeholder engagement from both private and public sector ranging from agro input service providers, off takers, financiers, Non-Governmental Organization. This is through improving output rates by enforcing and monitoring practices, policy and results. Joyce is skilled at combining qualitative and qualitative analysis with excellent communication skills to relay information for improvement and process changes and drive overall organization goal.  Joyce holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Economics and Resource Management. She is a certified MEL practitioner and a certified public accountant (CPA K).

Previously, Joyce worked with Cereal Growers Association as the MEL lead and further as the project manager for the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) program funded by World food Programme. While at CGA, she led MEL initiatives under different donors such as AGRA, USAID, GIZ among others. Joyce led a team of 30 experienced county Agribusiness Coordinators, working with over 700 rural agri-preneurs known as Farmer Service Centers (FSCs). These FSCs served well over 125,000 small holder farmers in Kenya.

At AATF, Joyce is responsible for providing MEL leadership in terms of development and optimization of the MEL Strategy that measures program-wide performance and achievements towards outcomes (using the Outcomes & Impact Framework core indicators and other methods as appropriate) including roll-out of new MEL related initiatives. Joyce is a Kenyan National.

Francis Onyekachi Nwankwo Product Stewardship Manager

Francis Onyekachi Nwankwo is an action researcher with 11 years of practical quest to contribute to strengthening the livelihood of smallholder farmers by helping to increase their agricultural productivity and competitiveness thereby reducing hunger and poverty. He holds a B.Agric (Animal Science and Animal Health) from the University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria, and a Masters in Human Development and Food Security from the University of Rome (Roma Tre). Before joining AATF, Francis worked for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture in Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Traders, among other NGOs. Francis served in the ECOWAS Scientific Committee for the second ECOWAS Development Report and also worked as a consultant/resource person to the European Commission/Pro€Invest and the UN Women. At AATF, Francis is Product Stewardship Manager. Francis is a Nigerian national.

Grace Mukasa

Resource Mobilization Officer

Grace is a communications specialist with over 15 years’ working experience in diverse sectors including agriculture and health.

Prior to joining AATF, she worked as an independent consultant since May 2017 where she provided communications support including resource mobilization for both public and private sector clients. She previously worked with Merck Health Care and Life Sciences, Kenya as a Communications Manager from 2015 to 2017.  Prior to that, she was the Corporate Communications Officer at AATF from 2011 to 2015 and the Project Communications Officer – WEMA Project from 2008 to 2011. She also served as the Publications Editor for the Institute of Policy & Research, Kenya from 2004 to 2008.

Grace holds an MA in Gender and Development and a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communications from the University of Nairobi and a BSc. Information Sciences from Moi University. Grace will be applying her knowledge and experience in communication to support AATF’s Resource Mobilization initiatives. Grace will double up as the AATF editor and provide administrative services to the AATF consultancy arm. Grace is a Kenyan national.

Prof. Garba Hamidu Sharubutu Member, Board of Directors

Prof Garba Hamidu Sharubutu is the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria. He is a specialist in Infectious Diseases of Livestock and Veterinary Legislation. A Native of Kwande, Qua’an – Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Garba Sharubutu was born on June 19, 1961. He attended St. John Vianney’s Transferred Roman Catholic (RCM) Primary School, Kwande; Government Secondary School (G.S.S.) Shendam; and the Plateau State School of Preliminary Studies (SPS) in Keffi, Nassarawa State.

Hamidu Sharubutu obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M) degree from Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U), Zaria in 1986; a Masters of Veterinary Science (M.V.Sc) degree from the University of Ibadan in 1992; and a Ph.D. from Usman Dan Fodiyo University Sokoto in 2002.

Prof. Sharubutu began his public service career in the Federal Livestock Department that same year (1987), subsequently joining the services of Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University as Assistant Lecturer in 1991 and rose to the rank of a Professor in 2005. He held numerous positions including Complex Co-ordinator of City Campus Complex of the University; Chairman, ASUU UDUS branch; Dean Faculty of Veterinary medicine; and Chairman of many sensitive University Committees.

He has earned numerous awards including the Presidential National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Honours in 1987 and nurtured many talents across the agricultural research sector. A seasoned professional, he is no novice in the academic, administrative and managerial sphere, and he is well published.

Prior to his appointment as the Executive Secretary on 16 th April, 2020, he acted in that position between September 2019 – April, 2020. Prof. Sharubutu has also held several positions in the public sector including National President, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (2005 – 2009); President of Veterinary Council of Nigeria (2013 – 2017); Provost, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom (2014 – 2018). He is an alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, where he also served as the Monitor General of SEC 35, 2013.

Dorothy Onyango Program Officer, RICE

Dorothy is a plant scientist who passionately believes in transforming hard science into a soft science that can improve lives of smallholder farmers. She is known to have a good balance between laboratory and field research in the areas of plant breeding, Genetics, plant molecular physiology, seed science, farmer researcher interaction through outreach activities and capacity building.

Before joining AATF, Dorothy worked with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) as a seed system specialist consultant, conducting baseline survey aimed at understanding rice seed value chain in Kenya. She also worked with DryGro as the Director of Plant Science Kenya research where she improved the crude protein content of Lemna from 23% to 51%. Prior to this, Dorothy worked with DuPont Pioneer Kenya as a highland maize breeder developing maize hybrids for the highlands. Dorothy also worked as a capacity-building associate with International Livestock Research Institute where she successfully trained and co-supervised 12 PhD and 16 MSC ABCF fellows from East and Central Africa.

Dorothy worked with the International Potato Center (CIP) as an associate production systems manager where she ardently helped farmers of western Kenya to sustainably intensify and or diversify their production systems. Dorothy holds her PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Maseno University Kenya. She conducted her PhD thesis research with the AfricaRice centre station in Tanzania and IRRI Los Banos in the Philippines. Dorothy holds MSc in Plant Genetics from University of Eldoret and BSC Botany from Moi University, both in Kenya. In addition, Dorothy holds a certificate in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics from the University of Nairobi. Apart from being a scientist, Dorothy is an award-winning agripreneur who worked end to end with smallholder farmers of western Kenya in innovating and integrating a groundnut biofertilizer winning FAPA AWARD. She is a Kenyan National.

As she joins AATF, she has keen interest in the implementation of the NEWEST and Hybrid Rice projects as well as AHyRA to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of activities and hopes to see rice farmers of Sub-Saharan Africa improve their yields through the use of certified hybrid rice seed as she works out post-harvest loss management in rice.

Alhaji Tejan-Cole Director of Legal Affairs/Legal Counsel

Alhaji Tejan-Cole holds a LL.M degree in Legislative Drafting (including Constitutional/Administrative Law) from the University of the West Indies and a LL.M degree in Intellectual Property Law (including Competition Law) from the University of South Africa. He has served as Legislative Counsel in Sierra Leone and in the Caribbean nation of Belize.

In 2003, he was appointed as Deputy Registrar for Intellectual Property in Belize, a position which he held until his appointment with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation. Alhaji has also served as legislative drafting consultant for the World Intellectual Property Organization. In addition to legislative drafting and intellectual property management, his other areas of experience include contract drafting, technology transfer, corporate governance and legal compliance. He is a citizen of Sierra Leone.

Djimé Adoum Member, Board of Directors

Djimé Adoum is the High Representative for the G5 Sahel Coalition. He has also served as the Executive Secretary of the Permanent Interstates Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and former Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Chad. He has 25 years of professional experience in international development, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. As an agronomist, Djimé has occupied various positions in the field of research, agricultural extension, communication and strategy in the design of development programs in several countries, from South Africa to Egypt through Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, USA and Chad. He has worked for international organizations such as the World Bank and USAID, as well as for research institutes and in the implementation of development strategies. Before his tenure as minister, he served as a technical advisor to President Idriss Deby Itno of Chad.  He holds a graduate degree in Agronomy, specifically in crop production and statistics, and a PhD in agronomy and agricultural extension from the University of Maryland.

Sofia Tesfazion Director Resource Mobilisation

Sofia Tesfazion holds a Master’s degree in International Business Administration and Economics from Uppsala University in Sweden and a Certificate in Change Leadership from Cornell University, USA. She has over 22 years of diverse experience in the private and development sectors from three continents, Europe, USA and Africa. Sofia started her career in SCA (Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget) a multinational company headquartered in Sweden that produces and sells absorbent hygiene products, packaging solutions and publication papers. She then moved to New York working for Towers Perrin, a global professional services firm that helps organisations around the world optimise performance through effective people, and risk and financial management – servicing clients that include three-quarters of the world’s 500 largest companies and three quarters of the Fortune 1000 U.S. companies. Sofia has been based in Nairobi over the last 13 years in regional management roles in resource mobilization, program development and grant management for Save the Children and Plan International. Before joining AATF, she was the Regional Head of Resource Mobilisation for Plan International covering 12 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. In AATF as Director Resource Mobilisation she provides strategic leadership in the area of resource mobilisation. Sofia is an Eritrean and Swedish national.

Kayode Abiola Sanni Rice Project Manager

Kayode Abiola Sanni has over 20 years experience in agricultural research and development, science and technology, leadership in genetics, plant breeding, genetic resources and project management. He has greatly contributed to research towards food security in Africa through management of genetic resources, varietal development, registration, release and dissemination. Kayode holds a PhD in Plant Breeding from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, an MSc in Environmental Genetics and a BSc in Agriculture (Soil Science) both from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His PhD work was focused on New Rice for Africa (NERICA) and he serverd as a Postdoctoral Fellow as molecular biologist at the Genetic Diversity and Improvement Program of Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). Prior to joining AATF, Kayode was the Head of Genetic Resources Unit and the Coordinator of International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice in Africa (INGER-Africa) at AfricaRice, where he led and managed the collection, conservation and utilisation of rice genetic resources. He was the lead scientist for the international rice evaluation and varietal release program cutting across 30 African countries, which led to the registration and release of rice varieties in the different countries. Kayode served as the focal point of AfricaRice at several levels such as, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and all issues relating to genetic biodiversity and Intellectual Property Rights. He took active part in multi-country donor-funded projects at AfricaRice. He also provided technical backstopping to national research scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa, and supervising post graduate students. He played a significant role in the establishment of varietal release system in the republic of Benin and was part of the committee that compiled the rice component of the first varietal catalogue of the country. Prior to that Kayode worked at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in various capacities, firstly with the Maize Breeding Program and later with the Genetic Resources Center, where he worked on the Genetic profiling of three of the IITA mandate Crops. Kayode participates in the crop technical sub-committee of the National Varietal Release Committee of Nigeria as an international expert on rice. He has published heavily in scientific journals, conference papers, books and book chapters, posters, flyers, bulletins. As the Project Manager Rice, he provides overall leadership to the research and product development of the rice projects – translating strategic aims into achievable plans, establishing priorities, and ensuring the integration of technical, legal, communication, regulatory, and product deployment elements of the projects. Kayode is a national of Nigeria.

Millicent Sedi

Program Officer-Agribusiness Development

Millicent .A. Sedi holds a master’s degree in Agribusiness Management (Finance and Marketing option) from Kerala Agricultural University, India. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Production from Egerton University, Kenya.

Millicent Sedi is an agricultural value chain and market systems development expert with more than 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the management and implementation of food and agricultural development activities with smallholder farmers within the Kenyan context. She has a vast understanding of agricultural market systems and supporting private and public sector actors to invest in long term relationships with smallholder farmers for structured crop and dairy production.

She has worked as a Program Manager, PREG lead, Business Development Specialist, Business Advisor, sales executive for USAID, USDA, FORD Foundation and private firms funded programs. Millicent has wide experience in the agriculture sector that includes strategic management and leadership, financial analysis of businesses, financing, and market linkages, overseeing gender inclusivity and working with Communities on Journey to Self-Reliance. As a Program Officer-Agribusiness Development, Millicent is responsible for providing technical support on Agribusiness Development, Gender Mainstreaming, conducting baseline and feasibility studies, and drafting concept notes, business plans, market, and impact assessment for all AATF projects.

Peter Mugambi Director, Corporate Services

Peter Mugambi holds an MBA from the University of Nairobi and professional accounting qualifications. Peter has extensive finance and operations experience, having worked at various international organizations for over fifteen years at different management levels. Before joining the AATF, he worked in Jhpiego Corporation as Finance and Administration Director, managing a substantial donor funding portfolio. Peter has also worked for CNFA, CARE International, Oxfam GB, and General Motors. He has provided specialist finance, operations, and compliance support to various organizations within Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Peter is an innovative problem solver and works to create motivated, agile and collaborative teams. Peter is a Kenyan national.

Ijeoma Akaogu Program Officer- COWPEA

Ijeoma Akaogu is a seasoned scientist in plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology with a good background in agronomy. She has over 10 years working experience across international and national organizations in Africa. Ijeoma holds a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, Legon Accra, M.Sc in Agronomy from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, and B.Sc in Plant Science and Biotechnology from Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. She was one of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) scholars for both her M.Sc and Ph.D degrees. Also, she was one of the 2016/2017 Norman Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agricultural Program (LEAP) fellows at Cornell University Ithaca New York where she conducted research on the identification of the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for Striga hermonthica in tropical maize lines. Before joining AATF, Ijeoma worked at the National Biotechnology Development Agency Abuja (NABDA), an organization saddled with promoting and coordinating biotechnology products, research, and development in Nigeria. Prior to that, she worked with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) under the Maize improvement unit as a research fellow where she had developed and commercialized some maize varieties in West Africa. Ijeoma was also a visiting scientist in the Institute of Biotechnology at the Cornel University, Ithaca, New York, USA. She brings on board a blend of experience in Agricultural Research, Commercialization and varietal release, design of breeding experiments, regional and international trials management, food and nutrition security. She is the Program officer for the pod borer resistant (PBR) cowpea project at AATF. Ijeoma is a Nigerian national.

Moses Taiwo Ajireloja Programme Officer- Seed Systems

Moses Taiwo Ajireloja is an excellent seed specialist with sound knowledge of seed production and seed systems, together with experience in promoting agricultural innovations (especially improved seed varieties) that can help smallholder farmers to become more productive, profitable, and sustainable. Moses holds a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) Degree in Seed Science and Technology, and a Bachelor of Agriculture (B.Agric.) Degree in Crop Production and Protection, both from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. He is also an alumnus of The SDG Academy where he participated in a comprehensive course on ‘Feeding a Hungry Planet: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Sustainability’. Moses also holds a Diploma in Computer Science, and he had been a participant in several online courses including project management, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, and digital technology. Prior to joining AATF, Moses was the Coordinator and Lead Developer of the Nigerian Seed Portal Initiative where he was responsible for facilitating the development of the seed portal and promoting the adoption of improved seed varieties towards boosting agricultural productivity and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. As a Programme Officer- Seed Systems at AATF, Moses is responsible for supporting the formulation and implementation of seed production strategies and plans, to facilitate effective and efficient product delivery, and seed systems components of projects. Moses is passionate about contributing to the realization of a prosperous and food-secure Africa where the livelihoods of smallholder farmers are transformed through innovative agricultural technologies that deliver results that increase farmers’ income, enhance food security, and improve nutrition. He is a Nigerian national.

Alex Abutu Communications Officer-West & Central Africa

Augustine Abutu Alexander is a veteran science journalist with many years of practical experience covering agriculture, health, climate change, and development for various media platforms across Africa and the United Kingdom. Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from the Benue State University, Makurdi, and has just completed course works and dissertation for the award of a master’s degree in development communication from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (Award of degree awaited). Prior to joining AATF, Alex was Editor, Agriculture, and Environment Desk at the Daily Trust newspaper, Abuja. In 2009, Alex was honored by the World Federation of Science Journalists as one of the four journalists that changed the world with their investigative reporting. He was coordinator, Biosciences for Farming in Africa, media consultant to the Program for Biosafety Systems, and media adviser to Nigeria’s former Minister of Science and Technology. He was also previously involved in the training of scientists on how to communicate their research findings as well as training and mentoring of science journalists across Africa. Alex is a national of Nigeria.

Vitumbiko Chinoko Project Manager -OFAB PROJECT

Vitumbiko Chinoko holds a Bachelor of Education – Science (BEd.Sc) (Spatial Development and Physical Geography), from Chancellor College of the University of Malawi and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with majors in Corporate Strategy and International Business from the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA), in Durban, South Africa.

He is an accomplished rural development specialist, campaigner and advocate with over 10 years of working with communities on climate adaptation and mitigation and influencing global, regional and national policy and practice on climate change and sustainable socio-economic development.

While at Christian Aid, he commissioned the country’s inaugural budget analysis on climate change to determine Government of Malawi’s commitment to climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. The report was instrumental in raising awareness on climate change and facilitated evidence-based engagement with Members of Parliament (MPs), the Executive and technocrats on the need increase investment in climate change through the national budget. He previously, worked with ACT Alliance, where he coordinated an international climate change policy influencing strategy and designed and implemented a global campaign to influence a pro-poor outcome on climate change adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance and emissions reductions from the historic the Paris Climate Conference in 2015.

Before joining AATF Vitumbiko worked for CARE USA, where he coordinated a CARE USA investment opportunity; Impact Growth Strategy (IGS), an advocacy and influencing programme for Southern Africa on Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Change. At CARE USA, Vitumbiko developed a Pan-African Advocacy and Influencing Strategy that focused at influencing Governments to implement the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth And Transformation for Shared Prosperity And Improved Livelihoods’s Commitments on Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Change as expressed in their respective National Agriculture Investments Plans (NAIPs). He facilitated the establishment of East and Southern Africa CSO SUN Network and coordinated the development of the first ever Nutrition Investment Report by 9 selected Governments in East and Southern Africa. He also established the Southern Africa Climate Smart Alliance (SACSA) under the Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance (ACSAA).

Vitumbiko is a member of CAADP Non-State Actors Coalition (CNC), a CSO platform that coordinates all advocacy and influencing on CAADP to the African Union (AU)/NEPAD. In CNC Vitumbiko co-chairs the Food Security Technical Working Group. He is a CSO member of the High Level Panel of InsuResilience Global Partnership (IGP) where he co-chairs the Gender Working Group with the Government of Canada.

Vitumbiko is an experienced climate change negotiator and has supported the Malawi Government Delegation to the UNFCCC to negotiate Agriculture, Climate Finance, adaptation and loss and damage at the UNFCCC since 2012. Vitumbiko is Malawian.

George Achia Communications Officer-East and Southern Africa

George is a Communications, Public Relations (PR) and Media professional with over eight years’ of experience in corporate communications, media relations, developing and implementing communications strategies, media, development of IEC materials, content development, media training, event planning & management and stakeholder & influencers relations. George holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics and Literary Studies from Moi University and is currently pursuing his Master of Arts Degree in Communication Studies (Strategic Communication) from the University of Nairobi. Before joining AATF, George worked with different Communications & PR Firms including Apex Porter Novelli (APN) and Chatter Media Africa as an Account Manager where he helped manage communications and PR functions for the corporate clients. Further, he handled the day-to-day PR activities for the clients including media relations and advocacy, corporate positioning, stakeholder relations, event management as well as act as the client-service lead for the accounts. He conceptualized and implemented different campaigns and media relations activities for the clients under intertwined strategies that helped the clients achieve their communications/organizational objectives. Before that, he worked as a science journalist reporting on different aspects of Science, Technology, and Innovation for different science publications such as ScienceAfrica and SciDev.Net – all focusing in bringing science, development and policy issues together through news and analysis in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the Communications Officer – East and Southern African, George is responsible for enhancing the visibility of AATF in the media, promoting the brand and its projects among target audiences in and outside Africa. George is a Kenyan national.

Cecilia Limera Programme Officer – Programme Development and Commercialisation (PDC)

Cecilia Limera is a plant biotechnologist with additional experience in molecular breeding and agronomy. Cecilia holds a PhD in agricultural, environmental, and food sciences with a specialisation in plant biotechnology from Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Italy; she did part of her research at the University of Wyoming, USA. She also holds an MSc. in horticulture with a specialisation in vegetable genetics and molecular breeding from Nanjing Agricultural University, China and a Bsc. in horticulture from Egerton University. Cecilia’s accomplishment in scientific communication has been demonstrated through her publication record culminating into over 17 peer-reviewed papers, conference papers, and book chapters. Before joining AATF, Cecilia was a postdoc research fellow at Universita Politecnica delle Marche in Mezzetti’s plant biotechnology laboratory, responsible for research in organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, and genetic engineering techniques. She also participated in proposals writing and training of undergraduate and masters students in plant biotechnology techniques. Previously, Cecilia worked for Canken International Company as chief agronomist responsible for the coordination of agronomists’ activities and training, budget preparations, and farmer consultations. Cecilia also worked for Technoserve coffee initiative as a business advisor intern with a responsibility for training coffee farmers on GAP and GPP. As a Programme Officer in the Programme Development and Commercialisation (PDC), Cecilia is responsible for the coordination and submission of technical reports, preparation of project documents, annual project budget reviews, project status reports and participation in project review meetings. Cecilia is a Kenyan national.

Howard Okiror Legal Officer

Howard Okiror, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, holds a Bachelors of Law (LLB) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, a Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property from the African University (WIPO/ARIPO Academy) Zimbabwe, several professional certificates on Intellectual Property issued by WIPO Academy and is currently finalising on his Master of Business Administration at CUEA. Prior to joining AATF he worked at the Kenya Copyright Board, a state corporation under the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice (Kenya), as a Legal Counsel and Copyright Prosecutor where he was involved in advising government and training the public on issues surrounding copyright and related rights, and also conducted prosecution for copyright infringement cases. Prior to joining government, Howard worked as a commercial and litigation lawyer with the firms of Yunis Mohammed & Associates and Muriithi & Ndonye Advocates respectively. At AATF, Howard is responsible for managing the AATF Contract Lifecycle Management System, negotiating, drafting and management of license agreements for technology development and deployment; facilitating and coordinating the filing of project and institutional intellectual property rights, updating and maintaining the intranet board folder, assisting the Director of Legal Affairs with corporate compliance functions; organising and facilitating project intellectual property meetings; assisting the Director of Legal Affairs in managing the AATF Technology and Innovation Support Centre; and assisting in intellectual property trainings for AATF and other partners. Howard is a national of Kenya.

Stephen Obunga Accountant

Stephen Obunga holds Bachelor of Commerce (First Class Honours) degree from KCA University. He is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and has vast working experience in donor financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, preparation of year end accounts, management accounting and reporting, variance analysis, preparation of audit papers, administration, cash flow management, compliance reviews and internal control systems monitoring. Prior to joining AATF he worked at DAI Global LLC as Senior Accountant for the East Africa Trade & Investment Hub Project, at CIP as Finance and Admin Officer and at ActionAid International as Finance & Admin Assistant. As the Accountant, his work is to provide support in the execution of financial services of AATF projects and other institutional activities ensuring effective and transparent utilisation of financial resources and integrity of financial services, ensure promotion of a client-oriented approach consistent with AATF rules and regulations and prepare and maintain accurate, timely, complete and reliable periodical financial reports and ensure that all financial transactions comply with set organisation policies and procedures as well as development partners’ regulations. Stephen is a Kenyan national.

Paul Oni Owolabi Associate Administrative and Finance Officer

Paul Oni Owolabi is an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ACA) and an Associate Member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (ASM). He holds a B.Sc. Accounting (Second-class Honors) degree from the University of Benin and is currently pursuing an MBA (finance option) degree from Patten University, Oakland, California. Prior to Joining AATF, he worked as an Accountant at Sterling Travels and Tours Limited, Private Networks Nigeria (PNN GROUP), and OneCard TopUp Services Limited. Paul’s experience spans the travel and tourism industry, telecommunication and fast moving consumer goods. As Associate Administrative and Finance Officer, he is responsible for the day-to-day finance functions, project finance activities for West Africa, tax and payroll management, West Africa sub-grantee financial review, travel management, procurement, general administration and basic human resource services in the Nigeria Country office. Paul is a Nigerian national.

Simeon Eze Driver, Abuja Office

Simeon Eze has been competently trained in Defensive and Advanced Driving and is currently undertaking a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the National Open University of Nigeria. Before joining AATF, he worked with the Canadian International Development Agency Program and the Castle and Towers Guards. Simeon has over 20 years’ experience in protocol, transportation and logistics. At AATF, he is responsible for administrative, transportation and logistics support. Eze is a national of Nigeria.

Francis Nang’ayo Senior Manager, Regulatory Matters

Francis Nang’ayo, an Applied Ecologist and leading expert on biosafety and regulatory affairs, holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Biological Sciences (University of Nairobi, Kenya), an M.Sc. degree in Environmental Biology (University of Guelph, Canada) and a Ph.D. degree in Applied Ecology (Imperial College, University of London). Additionally, he holds a postgraduate diploma in Crop Protection from Imperial College, London. His career as a scientist begun at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) where he worked for close to 20 years rising through the ranks of Research Officer, Senior Research Officer, Principal Research Officer and Deputy Director of the Biotechnology Research Centre in Nairobi. He was later appointed General Manager in charge of Phytosanitary Services, Biosafety, and Quarantine Affairs at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) before progressing to his current appointment at AATF of Senior Manager and Head of Regulatory Affairs in 2005. He is responsible for securing regulatory approval authorisations for testing and deployment of agricultural technologies including ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements of target countries for AATF projects. Francis is a member of many professional societies including the Entomological Society of Kenya (ESK); the African Crop Science Society, the African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS), the Public Research and Regulation Forum, the African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Expert Panel on Biotechnology and Biosafety, to name a few. Previously, Francis served as Member of the Kenya Standing Technical Committee on Imports and Exports (KSTCIE), the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) of Kenya, Institutional Biosafety Committee of KALRO and the Executive Committee of the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council of the African Union (IAPSAC). Francis has authored many publications. He has participated as a panelist on many TV talk shows on the safe utilisation of modern biotechnology and delivered several presentations on the same topic including Key Note addresses at professional, university and industry meetings at international and regional levels. Francis is a Kenyan.

Munyaradzi Jonga Seeds Production Manager

Munyaradzi Jonga is an agronomist and seed production specialist with vast experience in agriculture and the seed sector, and a passion for seed sector development and management. He holds BSc and MSc degrees in Crop Science as well as an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He has a Diploma in Marketing, Research Methods for Agronomists and has undertaken a Management Development course at the University of Cape Town as well as various courses on quality assurance and auditing of quality management systems. Munyaradzi got agricultural research and extension experience working in the fertiliser, crop chemicals and seed industries, where he gained understanding of various farming systems both in the smallholder and large scale farming sectors. He has worked as a Gazetted Seed Inspector, Seed Production & Quality Assurance Manager and Operations Manager for Seed Co Ltd. These appointments allowed Munyaradzi to participate in critical panels, committees, associations and seed systems networks dealing with seed production development and administration in Zimbabwe, Eastern and Southern Africa. Munyaradzi has contributed to agriculture and seed sector development through training of seed growers and seed industry personnel during formal workshop presentations and field training in east and southern African. During his tenure at Seed Co Ltd, he developed a practical seed production manual – “Maize Seed Production Manual 2002” – to assist upcoming seed growers and seed production personnel and supervised many internship students from various colleges and universities. Munyaradzi is a national of Zimbabwe.

Arnold Ntulume Mbowa Project Officer, Partnership for Africa Seed Technology Transfer Activity (PASTTA)

A trained agriculturalist with five years of experience in Seed production, product development, marketing and extension. He has built a career around expanding access to improved varieties of crops by farmers (both small holders and commercial) with roles in seed production, marketing and extension. Before joining AATF, Arnold worked as a product development agronomist at East African Seed (U) limited; as a team leader – Farmers’ Resource Centre at MWH foundation and a Sales and Marketing manager at Rhino Seeds (U) limited. He is an agricultural and development worker with cross-functional competences in seed production, testing and marketing as well as community mobilization and climate smart agricultural technologies. Arnold holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from Makerere University college of Agricultural science and a certificate in project management and planning. At AATF, Arnold is the project officer for PASTTA project in Uganda responsible for overseeing all project work in Uganda and ensuring that activities are implemented as planned. Arnold is Ugandan

Issoufou Kollo Abdourhamane Cowpea Project Manager

Issoufou Kollo Abdourhamane holds a Doctorate degree in Plant Pathology from Texas A&M University, USA; a Master’s in Plant Pathology and Bachelors in Plant Protection from Purdue University, Indiana, USA. Before joining AATF, Issoufou worked for the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development CORAF/WECARD) where he was the Coordinator for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Part

Monica Ndoria Regional Advocacy Coordinator – TELA

Monica Ndoria has over 10 years’ experience in program leadership across Africa and Asia. She holds an MSC degree in Development Management from Open University (UK), an MBA degree in Strategic Management from Daystar University (Kenya), a BSC Accounting degree from the Oxford Brookes University (UK), a certificate in project leadership from the Cornell University (USA) and project management certification through the Project Management for Development Professionals (PMDPro I&II) from LINGOs. Key areas of work include multi-country project coordination, advocacy and policy engagement including capacitating vulnerable and at-risk populations to engage in policy processes around biotechnology, health systems strengthening and HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining AATF, she worked with the Catholic Relief Services East African Regional office as a Senior Program Coordinator where she worked with civil society organisations across Africa and Asia through on-site and virtual technical assistance to set up platforms/networks and strengthened them to coordinate consistent engagement of CSOs in national health sector planning and policy processes. She has supported development of communication and strategic plans, including providing learning platforms that have promoted peer learning and strategic partnerships with development partners, academia and government ministries. She is trained in evidence-based advocacy; skills that have been critical in informing her mentorship to countries. At AATF, Monica coordinates the regional advocacy portfolio for the TELA project that is implemented in six countries. In this role, she works with national agricultural research centers in Sub-Saharan Africa to develop and implement effective outreach and policy advocacy strategies that seek to create an enabling environment for evidence-based policy making in agriculture. Monica is a Kenyan national.

Gordon Ogutu Protocal/Liaison Assistant

Gordon Ogutu holds an “O” level certificate and a Grade III Motor Vehicle Mechanic certificate. Before joining AATF, he worked as Liaison Assistant for six years at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Clerk/Driver for four years at the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), Clerk/Driver for the Smallholder Dairy Project for one year and as Purchasing Assistant/Driver for one year at Sacross Agencies. Gordon is a national of Kenya.

George Marechera Agribusiness Development Manager

George Marechera holds an MBA from Wolverhampton University, UK, a Bsc Honours degree from University of Zimbabwe and several professional management qualifications. Before joining AATF he worked as General Manager for Saltlakes Holdings (Zimbabwe) spearheading tobacco contract farming which targeted smallholder farmers; Makita Manufacturing (UK) as General Manager responsible for operations; Simmonsigns Pvt Ltd (UK) as a General Manager, where he was involved in business management, strategy and human resources management; the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement in Zimbabwe as an Economist and later as a Senior Economist responsible for project administration and finance directly involved in the management of agricultural projects funded by the Government and donors including European Union, World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and Japanese Aid. By the time he left the Ministry, he was the Executive Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for change management, commercialisation and subcontracting initiatives. During his tenure at the Ministry, he also worked as a part time lecturer in economics and business management. George has worked in the agricultural industry and has wide experience in project and agri-business management, business strategy, business consultancy, marketing management, change management, economic development and regeneration. He has proven leadership skills in managing, developing and motivating teams. As Agri-business Specialist, George is responsible for co-ordinating and facilitating business initiatives between the AATF, agro-industry, smallholder farmers and all stakeholders in the agricultural industry to ensure appropriate knowledge is disseminated for effective and efficient service delivery. George Marechera is a Zimbabwean national.

Sylvester Oikeh WEMA Project Manager

Sylvester O. Oikeh has more than 18 years of interdisciplinary experience in research and development projects on natural resources and crop management, and plant nutrition. He joined AATF from the Africa Rice Centre, WARDA, where he worked for five years, rising to the position of a Principal Scientist/Soil Fertility Agronomist and Project Leader. As a Principal Scientist, Sylvester’s key duties included conducting strategic and applied research on integrated soil fertility management and plant nutrition to improve natural resources management and increase rice production in smallholder farming systems. He took part in multi-country donor-funded projects, backstopping national research systems scientists in west and eastern Africa, and supervising doctoral students, among other duties. Between 1990 and 2003, Sylvester held various positions at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), including as a GTZ Research Fellow, a consultant agronomist, and a visiting maize scientist involved in collaborative research investigating micronutrient enhancement of tropical maize. In 2001, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University’s USDA Plant, Soil and Nutrition Lab at Ithaca, New York, USA. Sylvester attained his doctorate in Soil Science specialising in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition from the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria, in 1996. He obtained a Masters degree in Crop Science from the University of Nigeria, Nssuka, the same university from where he had graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture degree in Horticulture. Sylvester holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Irrigation Engineering from the Centre for Irrigation Engineering of the Katholieke universiteit, Leuven, Belgium. Besides research, he has lectured in Nigeria at the University of Benin (Soil Science) and Anambra State College of Education (Crop Production, Horticulture and Agricultural Economics). Sylvester is a national of Nigeria.

Daniel Kyalo Willy Programme Officer, TAAT Policy Enabler

Daniel Kyalo Willy is an accomplished agricultural economist with over 15 cumulative years of passionately working with smallholder farmers, particularly in designing and implementing inter-disciplinary agricultural research projects, household and market surveys and quantitative/qualitative data analysis. His research has mainly focused on sustainable agricultural intensification and productivity, technology adoption and transfer, impact assessment of agricultural technologies, institutional economic aspects of agriculture, agri-environmental interactions and agricultural value chains assessment. Daniel holds a Bsc. in Agricultural Economics (Egerton), an MSc. in Agricultural and Applied Economics (Egerton) and a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics (Bonn). Daniel’s accomplishment in scientific communication has been demonstrated through his publication record culminating into over 30 peer reviewed papers, conference papers, working papers, policy briefs and technical papers. Before joining AATF, Daniel was a lecturer and researcher at the department of Agricultural Economics, Kenyatta University. Previously, he was a Post-doc research fellow at the Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn-Germany, a research assistant at Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, technical assistant at AATF, and a graduate research assistant at both Egerton University and University of Bonn. Daniel has been instrumental in conducting research to support agricultural policy reforms in Africa such as reforms on land policies, agro-input marketing and input subsidies in Kenya, wetland resources management in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, among others. He has successfully supervised to graduation 12 MSc. students. Daniel held several administrative responsibilities at Kenyatta University at both school/faculty and departmental level. He is a member of the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) and has consulted for the National Research Fund (NRF) – Kenya, Solidaridad East and Central Africa, BOKU University – Austria, and Michigan State University. As TAAT Policy Enabler Programme Officer, Daniel is responsible for implementing activities within the program towards facilitating the creation of an enabling environment for efficient deployment of high impact agricultural technologies in 9 value chains across over 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. His work includes policy analysis to identify policy, regulatory and institutional related bottlenecks on seed systems, agricultural input and output markets; engaging policy makers and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate the elimination of these bottlenecks and administrative responsibilities related to project planning and fiduciary activities. Daniel is a Kenyan national.

Caleb Obunyali Programme Officer WEMA

Caleb Obunyali, a seed scientist, holds a BSc in Botany and a Master of Philosophy (MPhiL.) in Seed Science and Technology both from Moi University. Prior to joining AATF he worked as an Inspector at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) in seed certification and plant variety testing and protection. Before joining KEPHIS, he worked at the East African Herbarium Department, National Museums of Kenya, as a Research Fellow in Plant Taxonomy and Biodiversity Conservation, and on the Seed for Life Project as an Assistant Project Officer. As Programme Officer for the Water Efficiency Maize for Africa (WEMA) project, Caleb is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of product delivery strategies, seed production, product deployment and quality management in target countries. Caleb is Kenyan.

Fredah Nyaga Accountant

Fredah Nyaga holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance option) degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. She is a registered member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) and the Association of Women Accountants in Kenya (AWAK). Before Joining AATF, Fredah worked at Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT) as a Senior Finance Officer. Previously she worked at Business Services Market Development Project (BSMDP) as a Project Finance Officer, at Tacco Consultants as Audit Assistant, and at Comtec Group Ltd as an Accounts Assistant. As an Accountant at AATF, Fredah is responsible for providing support in the execution of financial services for AATF projects and other institutional activities by ensuring integrity, effectiveness and transparent utilisation of financial resources. This includes, but is not limited to, preparation and maintenance of accurate, timely, complete and reliable periodical financial and management reports that comply with set company policies and procedures as well as development partners’ regulations. Fredah is a Kenyan national.

Edith Kouko Project Officer Rice

Edith Kouko holds a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture (honors) from the University of Nairobi, Kenya (with plant breeding, and quantitative and population genetics being some of her best performed units) and an M.Sc. degree in Agriculture from Yamagata University, Japan, with her thesis based on dissemination of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Western Kenya. Before joining AATF, she served as a Sub County Crops Development Officer (Nambale and Butula Sub Counties) and a Sub County Agribusiness Development Officer (Butula and Samia Sub Counties) in the State Department of Agriculture in Busia County for seven years. Her duties included coordination of implementation of agribusiness and crop related programmes and projects in Busia County such as National Accelerated Agricultural Inputs Access Programme (NAAIAP), Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness Project (KAPAP) and Programme for Agriculture and Livelihoods in Western Communities (PALWECO), preparation and implementation of work plans and budgets, compilation of sectional reports, linking farmers to markets and input suppliers and interacting closely with stakeholders along agricultural value chains with the aim of supporting small scale producers achieve food security and raise their household incomes. Edith was also involved in the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Programme in Busia County. As Programme Assistant in the Department of Technical Operations, Edith is responsible for the coordination and submission of technical reports, preparation of project documents, annual project budget reviews, project status reports and participation in project review meetings. Edith is a Kenyan national.

Caroline Thande Administrative Assistant

Caroline M Thande has training in Business Management, Secretarial and on various computer packages. Before joining AATF, she worked for CARE International in Somalia, based in Nairobi, for 15 years in various capacities. Before her departure, she was the Administration Assistant cum Executive Secretary to the Country Director and the Assistant Country Director. Prior to CARE, she worked with Catholic Brothers of St Charles Lwanga as secretary cum receptionist. Caroline is a Kenyan National.

Abed Mathagu Programme Officer, Regulatory Affairs

Abed Mathagu holds a Bsc. degree in Forestry from Moi University in Kenya, a Msc. degree in Plant Pathology from the University of Nairobi in Kenya and a Master’s degree in Biosafety from the University of Ancona in Italy. He is currently enrolled for a PhD program at Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya. Before joining AATF, Abed was acting as the General Manager for Phytosanitary and Biosafety Services at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS). He served in the National Biosafety Authority Board between 2010 and September 2014 as well as in its predecessor, the National Biosafety Committee from 2005 to 2009. Abed participated in the development of Kenya’s Biosafety Act and Regulations as well as in different institutional biosafety committees, including those of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). He participated in the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Committee on Genetically Modified Food Labelling and Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Taskforce on Foods Derived from Biotechnology which developed the Codex Plant Guideline for GM Risk Assessment. Abed chaired the Technical Committee on Biotechnology at the Kenya Bureau of Standards from 2009 to September 2014. He has wide experience in regulatory work. As Programme Officer, Regulatory Affairs, Abed is charged with coordinating planning, implementing and monitoring of WEMA regulatory activities to secure permit approvals and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in partner countries. He is a citizen of Kenya.

George Agyemang Sarpong Member, Board of Trustees

George Agyemang Sarpong is the Managing Partner of G.A. Sarpong & Co., Legal Practitioners and Consultants, Accra, Ghana; and a former Director of the Ghana School of Law. His specialist areas include Law of the Sea, Biotechnology, Land Use Planning and Mining. George is an alumnus of the Faculty of Law University of Ghana (LL.B. – 1981); the Ghana School of Law (B.L. – 1983); the University of British Columbia (LL.M. International Law – 1984); and the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (LL.M. – Environmental Law, Occasional Student – 1995). He has been the recipient of many awards, fellowships and visiting scholarships, including from the UN (Human Rights Studies, Geneva and Strasbourg) and the Universities of British Columbia, Leiden, Nottingham, Queens (Belfast) and North-Western (United States).

George entered academia after a career in the Ghana Armed Forces. He trained at the Ghana Military Academy and the Combat Arms School CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick (Canada). He was commissioned into the Recce Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces in 1973, and served in various capacities including Squadron Leader, 3 Squadron, Recce Regiment and Administrator at the Legal Services Directorate of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was a member of the Commission of Enquiry into the Organisational Structure of the Ghana Armed Forces (General Erskine Commission) in 1987-1989; and an Adjunct Lecturer of the Law of the Sea at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. He honourably retired with the rank of Major in 1990.

George joined the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana in 1990. He served for 16 years during which period he taught Public International Law, Law of Contract, Business and Environmental Laws. He also served on several boards and committees of the university. He has published extensively in local and international journals on Public International and Environmental Law and attended several training programmes and conferences in his areas of expertise. He has also been involved in several initiatives as legal consultant to the Government of Ghana, UN bodies and international agencies in the implementation of projects, programmes and policies on sustainable development in several sectors including irrigation, fisheries, wetlands, land use planning, biodiversity, biotechnology, mining, plant health, environmental health and food safety.

George is a member of the Ghana Bar. He was a member of the African Union’s High-Level African Panel on Modern Biotechnology that provided a blueprint for biotechnology in Africa. He is currently a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Sylvia Horemans Member, Board of Trustees

Sylvia possesses over 20 years management experience having worked across diverse sectors comprising parastatal and private companies. She holds a higher Diploma in Project Management from Cambridge University and various Diplomas in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Business Management and Administration, Sales and Marketing, and Certificates in Plant Breeding, Seed Production and Agribusiness.

Sylvia joined Kamano Seed in 2004 and rose from Marketing Director to the position of Chief Executive Officer/share holder. She has attended Seed Breeding training in Sweden and Sri Lanka and is affiliated to Making Markets Matter which has exposed her to a lot of international businesses. She is also a committee member of Zambia Seed Traders Association.

Due to her hard work and determination, Kamano Seed was awarded 1st prize for having marketed and sold the highest volume of orange maize seed under HarvestPlus/Ag Result. Sylvia has passion for women and youth and is always trying to better their lives. She has continued to play a big role in Zambia by making sure that the small holder farmers are well taken care of through food security.

Jessica Fransisca Colaco

Jessica Francisca Colaço is the co-founder and VP of Growth and Success at Brave Venture Labs based in Nairobi, London and San Francisco. Brave is a HR tech company sourcing and matching talent to companies looking to build product teams. She co-founded the iHub with Erik Hersman in 2010 and served in various leadership positions – she was the Director of Partnerships and Community at iHub, the Founding Manager between 2010 and 2011 at iHub and Research Director between 2011 and 2013 at iHub Research.

Jessica also co-founded WMIAfrica and AkiraChix. She was the ISOC-Kenya Chapter Treasurer in 2014, ACM-W Nairobi Chapter Chair 2014, TED Global Fellow 2009 and Bass Guitarist with her band Bass ii IV. She was part of the DFID’s Digital Advisory Panel team as a member and advisor in 2015.

Jessica holds a Master’s degree in Applied Computing and a BSc in Computer Science, both from the University of Nairobi. She is an Ambassador at blackbox.vc, a Public Speaker, MC, Director at Valuraha Group Ltd, Advisor at Ma3Route, and a Startup and Tech Evangelist.

Jessica is a recipient of various honors and awards, including 1st Place – Robotics Community Challenge – AFRON in 2014, Top 40 women under 40 in Kenya in Tech and Business in 2012, 2011, and 2009, TED Global Fellow 2009, 100 Most Influential Young Kenyans in 2016, 100 Most Influential Young Africans in 2017, and Top 100 iHub Community Member.

Noble Banadda Member, Board of Trustees

Noble Banadda earned his Doctorate degree in chemical engineering at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. He also had postdoctoral professional training at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Noble is a Professor of Biosystems Engineering at Makerere University and his area of research is bioprocessing engineering specifically mathematic modeling of biological systems and interactions. He led the team that pioneered the first ever farmer-based low-cost multiple purpose vehicle in Uganda.

In 2013, Noble was inaugurated as the youngest fellow of Uganda National Academy of Sciences. In 2015, he was honoured as a young scientist at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China, and in November 2018, he was selected as the winner of the 2018 Pius XI Medal Award which is a global award given every two years by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences to a scientist under the age of 45, who has conducted and shown exceptional promise in scientific research. He is the first African to receive this award since it was established in 1961.

Dahlia Garwe Member, Board of Trustees

Dahlia holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Cape Town and an MSc degree in Biotechnology from the University of Zimbabwe as well as a BSc (Hon) degree in Biochemistry from the same University. Additionally, she has completed an Executive Diploma in Business Leadership.

Dahlia rose through the ranks and is currently the General Manager of the Tobacco Research Board having worked for the Research Board in various capacities since 1991. Although her primary qualification is Molecular Biology, Dahlia has since been exposed to management at senior level and the implementation of Quality Management Systems.

She is a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences. Dahlia joined the Seed Co Limited Board in February 2011 and also sits on the Boards of a number of diverse companies and institutions.

Hamadi Iddi Boga Member, Board of Trustees

Prof. Hamadi Iddi Boga is the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Agricultural Research in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation in the Government of Kenya. He is the former founding Principal of Taita Taveta University and was its Vice Chancellor between 2007 and 2017. He was a Professor in the Department of Botany at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. His skills and interests are in biology, agricultural science, sequencing, microbiology, molecular biological techniques and RNA genes. He also has an interest in microbial ecology of insects’ guts, soils and soda lakes and has worked with termites, the soda lakes of Kenya, mangrove swamps, agricultural and forest soils and also on Mount Kenya glacier. He has a PhD in Biology from Universität Konstanz in Germany.

Nancy Muchiri Senior Manager, Communications and Partnerships

Nancy Muchiri is a public relations practitioner with an MSc in Organisational Development from the United States International University, Kenya; a BA from the University of Nairobi; and a postgraduate diploma in Mass Communications from the same university. She has also attended the Diploma in Management course at the Kenya Institute of Management, Nairobi. Before joining AATF, Nancy worked with the SOS Children’s Villages, an international child welfare organisation where she established and headed the fundraising and communications department for three years. Prior to that, she worked with the East African Portland Cement Company Ltd as head of the public relations section for eleven years, providing corporate and product communications leadership. Nancy is responsible for managing the Foundation’s public and partnership relationships through strategic communications to enhance visibility and positioning of the Foundation and its projects. Nancy is Kenyan.

Ingrid Wünning Tschol Member, Board of Trustees

Ingrid Wünning Tschol received her PhD in Biology from the University of Tübingen Germany. From 1985 -1990 she did her postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and State University of New York in Stony Brook, USA. Ingrid is Senior Vice President Strategy at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stuttgart.

Further stations in her career include a director’s position at Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in Bonn/Germany and the position of the Head of Medical Section at the European Science Foundation in Strasbourg, France.

She serves on numerous national and international committees, including the Board of Trustees of the University of Ulm, the International Steering and Programme Committee of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF, Africa) which she co-initiated, the Supervisory Board of the Euroscience Open Forum, the Food Security Advisory Board of the University of Hohenheim and the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Natural History, Berlin.

Dame Anne Glover Member, Board of Trustees

Anne Glover holds a BSc degree in Biochemistry from Edinburgh and a PhD degree in Molecular Microbiology from Cambridge, UK. She has pursued a career in scientific research at Aberdeen University and her research has been varied including studying how proteins are directed to the correct location within our cells, the diversity and function of the microbial population in soil, the development of biological sensors (biosensors) to detect environmental pollution and, more recently, how we respond to stress at the molecular level.

This current area of research has particular relevance to how we age (our cells are under stress in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) and how we respond to artificial stresses such as chemotherapy. Anne has commercialised some of her biosensor technology into a successful company which diagnoses environmental pollution and provides solutions for its clean-up.

In 2008 Anne was recognized as a Woman of Outstanding Achievement in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) and has worked hard to raise the profile of women in SET and to ensure that not only are women recruited into careers in SET but that they are supported to remain in the profession during their careers. She has promoted the communication of science and has appeared on BBC and other international television and many global radio programmes. In 2009, Anne was awarded a CBE by the Queen in recognition of her services to environmental sciences.

Anne was the first Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission (2012-2015). Prior to that, she was the first Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland (2006-2011). In both positions Anne transformed the way science, engineering and technology were used and discussed within government and developed strategic initiatives to bridge the gap between science and policy. She has also been a very effective and well respected ambassador for European science. Anne was also Vice Principal for External Affairs and Dean for Europe at the University of Aberdeen and is presently Special Adviser to the Principal of Strathclyde University.

Anne became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to Science in the UK and Europe in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Jeremy T. Ouedraogo Member, Board of Trustees

Jeremy T. Ouedraogo, a scientist in genetics and plant breeding, holds a PhD degree from the University Laval, Canada. His research focused on the use of biotechnology tools in plant breeding. Jeremy is the Director of African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE). Prior to this appointment he was a plant breeder, Head of the Plant Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory in the national research system of Burkina Faso. He has contributed to the creation of many cowpea varieties that are released in Burkina Faso and other West African countries.

Since 2002, Jeremy has been fully involved in biotechnology/biosafety strategy development and implementation in his country. He has participated in the committee which elaborated the biosafety guidelines for Bt Cotton trials and contributed to the approval of the referred trials as a member of the Biosafety Scientific Committee. Jeremy has been involved in the activities of public awareness and communication on biotechnology engineered crops through more than fifty presentations/conferences on modern biotechnology and GM crops in many African countries. He has also been involved in new biotech crops projects for Africa such as cowpea and sorghum in Burkina Faso. Jeremy has been a nominated member of the Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) External Advisory Board hosted by the Africa Harvest Foundation. Jeremy was an elected Member of the Burkina Faso Parliament from 2007 to April 2011 where he contributed to strengthening parliamentary awareness of biosciences issues. Jeremy served as Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries of Burkina Faso from 2011 to 2014.

Emmanuel Okogbenin Director, Programme Development and Commercialization (PDC)

Emmanuel Okogbenin, a well-trained scientist in plant breeding, genetics, and genomics with good background in agronomy, and physiology, has experience spanning over 23 years working in and leading several research projects in cassava at both international agricultural research (IAR) centres and national agricultural research institutes (NARS). He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics/Plant Breeding from the University of Ibadan. He conducted his thesis research as a Rockefeller fellow with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Colombia. Emmanuel holds M.Sc. in Agronomy and B.Sc. in Agriculture (Crop Science) degrees from the same university. As part of his PhD programme, he took courses in statistical genetics at the North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Emmanuel, a pioneer scientist in cassava biotechnology research, led the CIAT team in QTL mapping studies on the crop. As a cassava breeder/geneticist at CIAT, he led the Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) initiative for cassava mosaic disease (CMD) resistance resulting in the release of the first CMD resistant Latin American cassava varieties in Africa. He coordinated the activities of the CIAT Genetics Unit as part of his last duties in Colombia. Emmanuel has in the last few years pioneered Marker-Assisted Recurrent Selection (MARS) for drought tolerance and improved productivity of cassava in marginal drought prone ecologies in Africa, in addition to leading the cassava breeding community of practice in SSA under the platform of the CGIAR-Generation Challenge Programme (GCP). In the course of his career he has worked for IITA, Nigeria; CIAT, Colombia; NRCRI, Nigeria; CGIAR-GCP and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Nigeria. In the FMARD, he was a member of the ministerial core team for the cassava transformation agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria. He has been a consultant and collaborator with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre, USA on international projects in Africa. Emmanuel’s publications include journal articles, book chapters and conference papers presented at international and national meetings. As the Director of Programme Development and Commercialization (PDC), Emmanuel identifies opportunities for agricultural technology interventions, assesses the feasibility and probability of success of project concepts, identifies sources of appropriate technologies, negotiates their access and deployment, and provides overall leadership in the implementation of AATF’s project portfolio. Emmanuel is a national of Nigeria.

Ruth Rotich Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Ruth Jepkoech Rotich holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Kenyatta University and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation at the African Nazarene University. Her areas of expertise include project planning, coordination and implementation, results based monitoring and evaluation, gender in development, and ICT for M&E and learning among others. Prior to joining AATF, Ruth worked with the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) as an M&E Specialist/Head of Cross Cutting Services for the Equitable Prosperity Through Private Sector Development Project which aims at creating sustainable economic growth and reduce economic disparities by supporting the development of profitable, competitive small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture, construction and extractives sectors in Kenya. Ruth also worked in a number of capacities for the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) between 2012 and 2016, her last assignment as the M&E Specialist in the USAID-Kenya Agricultural Value Chain Enterprises Project (KAVES). As Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at AATF, Ruth is responsible for providing leadership to AATF in terms of M&E with a particular focus on the use of scientifically sound methods of impact evaluation and the implementation of the Foundation’s M&E framework and project-related M&E research and development activities. Ruth is a Kenyan.

Jane Achando Legal Officer

Jane Achando, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (strategic management) from the Kenya Methodist University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and a Bachelors of Law (LLB) from the University of South Africa. Prior to joining AATF she worked at Family Health International (Kenya) as a Contract and Grants Consultant where she was involved in the close out phase of the Aids Population and Health Integrated Assistance II (APHIA) project. Jane has worked as a litigation advocate at Kelly & Company Advocates and as a legal assistant at Musyoka, Wambua & Katiku Advocates. At AATF, Jane is responsible for managing the AATF Contract Lifecycle Management System, negotiating, drafting and management of license agreements for technology development and deployment; facilitating and coordinating the filing of project and institutional intellectual property rights, updating and maintaining the intranet board folder, assisting the Director of Legal Affairs with corporate compliance functions; organising and facilitating project intellectual property meetings; assisting the Director of Legal Affairs in managing the AATF Technology and Innovation Support Centre; and assisting in intellectual property trainings for AATF and other partners. Jane is a Kenya

Moussa Elhadj Adam Director Finance & Administration

Ousmane Badiane Chair, Board of Trustees

Ousmane Badiane is the Founder and Executive Chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063 which is an international non-profit organization with headquarters in Rwanda and a regional office in Senegal. AKADEMIYA2063’s overall mission is to create state-of-the art technical capacities across Africa to support the efforts by the Member States of the African Union to achieve the key goals of the Agenda 2063 of transforming national economies to boost growth and prosperity. He also initiated the Malabo Montpellier Panel which encourages policy innovations for better development outcomes by bringing together leading global experts and decision-makers. He was the Africa Director for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In this role, he oversaw the institute’s two regional offices for West and Central Africa in Dakar and Eastern and Southern Africa in Addis Ababa. He coordinated IFPRI’s work program in the areas of food policy research, capacity strengthening, and policy communications in Africa. He was also in charge of IFPRI’s partnerships with African institutions dealing with the above areas.As an Advisor to the NEPAD Secretariat from 2004 to 2007, he was instrumental in developing and guiding the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Before his tenure at IFPRI, Dr Badiane, a national of Senegal, was Lead Specialist for Food and Agricultural Policy for the Africa Region at the World Bank from January 1998 to August 2008. He previously worked at IFPRI as Senior Research Fellow from 1989 to 1997, when he led the institute’s work on market reforms and development.

While at IFPRI, he taught Economics of Development in Africa, as adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies from 1993 to 2003. Dr Badiane received a Master’s Degree and PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Kiel in Germany.

His awards include a Doctoral Degree Honoris Causa from the University of KwaZulu Natal in South Africa, induction as Fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economics and the Africa Food Prize in 2015.

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FEASIBILITY STUDY /BUSINESS PROPOSAL PLAN ON GARI PROCESSING FROM CASSAVA AND PACKAGING DEVELOPED BY BRITECH PLUS+ ENTERPRISES

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Cassava is a perennial woody shrub with an edible root, which grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Cassava originated from tropical America and was first introduced into Africa in the Congo basin by the Portuguese around 1558. Today, it is a dietary staple in much of tropical Africa. It is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins B and C, and essential minerals. However, nutrient composition differs according to variety and age of the harvested crop, and soil conditions, climate, and other environmental factors during cultivation.

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