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(HERALD) FAO injects US$335 000 into cassava project

FAO injects US$335 000 into cassava project
Business Reporter

THE Food and Agriculture Organisation has injected US$335 000 into a cassava project that is currently running in the Mutasa and Makoni districts of Manicaland. National project co-ordinator, who is also a Root and Tuber Crop Extension Specialist with Agritex Ms Sibongile Mangena said the project, that would be running for 22 months, was launched in April this year and would wind up in January 2010.

"The overriding principle of the project is the participation of women and the marginalised communities in meeting the goals of poverty eradication, food security, gender equity and equality as conceptualised in the context of the Millennium Development Goals," she said.

Ms Mangena explained the project was in support of Outcome 6 of the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF, 2007-2011) that advocates improved food security and sustainable management of natural resources.

She explained that the national food policy had always focussed on maize as the staple crop to address food security but in recent years the country had been exposed to recurrent droughts resulting in serious food shortages that were also attributed to too much reliance on one staple crop.

Said Ms Mangena: "While maize remains prominent in meeting human and livestock consumption needs and in the manufacture of agro-industrial products like starch, it is vital to have crop diversification especially for the low income and vulnerable households that can not mobilise adequate agricultural inputs."

Additionally Ms Mangena explained that maize production had been on the decline over the years averaging less than 0,8 tonnes per hectare in the last 10 years.

"Farmers have been experiencing low yields against a background of rising costs of agricultural inputs especially fertilisers, seed and chemicals hence the need for the adoption of a safety net, the cassava project," she observed.

She said this was possible through the adoption of low input crops like cassava that had the capacity to perform better in marginal areas to compliment maize.

The promotion of smallholder cassava production and processing at household and community level would raise incomes while industries including confectionery production, livestock feeds and breweries had shown interest in cassava and even supported research on the crop, Ms Mangena further explained.

"Cassava is a an important food crop that can support household food requirements with low production costs and can be grown easily in association with other crops and remains available for a considerable period of the year," said Ms Mangena.

The Government has engaged FAO for technical and capital assistance in the pilot project in the two Manicaland districts while departments like Agritex, Agricultural Research and Development, Agricultural Engineering, Mechanisation and Irrigation and Community Development will also be involved.

The project will upon an evaluation of its success in the two districts be spread to other parts of the country. It is currently running in 20 wards with 10 coming from each of the two districts involved.

Labels: CASSAVA, FAO, MAIZE

posted by MrK @ 5:42 PM