Investors in cassava industry sought
The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 6 has urged the private sector to consider investing in the cassava production industry.
Candido Damo, DA national project leader on Cassava Production, said there is a vast opportunity in the cassava industry, especially that the demand for the rootcrop has been increasing.
Damo, who was in Iloilo City recently for a consultation with the cassava industry stakeholders in Western Visayas, said the demand for cassava for 2010 was around five million metric tons and expected to increase to 10 metric tons by 2014.
In 2009, the country supplied only less than 50 percent of the current demand for cassava, he said.
The high demand for cassava has also forced processors and companies to import supplies from other countries such as Thailand.
About 80 percent of the country’s cassava is used as ingredients in animal and fish feeds, as well as mixtures used in making textile, glue and pharmaceutical products.
Damo said he is confident the farmers could meet the demand of the cassava industry now that DA was willing to provide technical support for the production this year.
The DA plans to develop new cassava varieties with high yield potential and faster growth rate. The department will provide post harvest equipments such as chipper or granulator to lessen processing time. It is also conducting trainings on and farmer leaders and resource persons and technical experts on how to propagate cassava.*PNA
