About KCAI

Cassava is the third most important staple food crop in Tanzania after maize and rice. About 1.9 million stakeholders are involved in cassava production and/or other businesses along the entire cassava value chain majority in Kigoma Region. Although there are great opportunities for cassava commercialization in Tanzania, these are hindered by fluctuating annual fresh cassava production and productivity which have been ranging from four to eight million tons per hectare. The average annual productivity ranges from 3.5 tons per hectare to 8.5 tons per hectare.

Factors contributing to such low production and productivity include low application of improved technologies along the value chain. Other factors are infestation of pests and diseases; unreliable rainfall due to climatic changes; low levels of investment into cassava sub-sector; inadequate markets and limited market information amongst stakeholders. In addition, there is limited diversification and expansion of cassava utilization into new growth markets which is an opportunity for increasing production, processing and supply system. Inadequate coordination has also negatively impacted the performance of the cassava sub-sector.

Despite these narrated challenges, cassava has great potential in terms of food and nutrition security, income generation and provision of industrial raw materials. There are still untapped or dormant markets in the country such as use of cassava products in textile, breweries, pharmaceuticals and animal feed industries, biscuit factories, bio-ethanol and other food and non-food cassava-based products. The potential and possibility of utilizing cassava as a food and nutrition security and income-generating crop has prompted Kigoma Cassava Agronomy Initiative to have this initiative so as to promote it. Similar to other crops, cassava has strong linkages with non-farm sectors through agro-processing, transportation, urban markets and export trade.

Therefore, the Kigoma Cassava Agronomy Initiative will provide strategic interventions that focus on increasing current production in line with product quality improvement that responds to the growing demand.