Diseases threaten cassava production

Cassava cultivation in the country faces serious challenge as the sub-sector is beset by prevalence of Africa Cassava Mosaic Disease (ACMD) and other root-rot diseases such as Cassava Bacterial Blight -- causing severe yield and income losses, and thereby threatening the livelihoods of people along its value chain.

ACMD is inreasingly becoming a major bane of cassava growers in theVolta, Eastern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions where cassava production remains the mainstay of thousands of people, as an antidote to the problem seems not to be in sight.

Traditional-cassava farms are highly susceptible to these diseases and yet many of the farmers, especially peasant and subsistence ones, still live on it because they do not have access to improved varieties -- coupled with lack of education. This is threatening cassava as the number-one staple food crop for the majority of Ghanaians -- and its commercial value, as it is fast becoming an important raw material for industries because of its high starch content.

The Apex Farmers Association of Ghana (APFOG), a nationwide umbrella organisation of over 600 men and women farmer-based groups dealing in various commodities ranging from roots and tubers, grains and legumes, vegetables, tree crops, livestock and fisheries have fingered the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and its agencies for “not doing much” in addressing the canker.

According to the Group, there is no national policy on cassava -- notwithstanding the Root and Tubers Production and Marketing programme. It also says the Ministry and its subsidiary agencies have not been proactive in reaching out to farmers with new improved cassava varieties.

The International Institute ofTropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan-Nigeria, in collaboration with the CRI, has come out with “improved” variety cultivars which are resistant to diseases and potentially increase yield from 12 tonnes to at least 20 tonnes per hectare.

The new varieties are also noted to have high starch content, making them suitable for much industry use, but many farmers claim not to be accustomed to them. Some of the validated cassava varieties include afisiafi, nkabom, bankyebotan, broni-bankye, otuhia and agbelifia.

The situation necessitated a one day sensitisation seminar recently held in Accra as part of a BUSAC-Funded advocacy action. It was on the topic “Invoking the CSIR/IITA mandate to address the African Cassava Mosaic Disease problem”.

The thrust was to share in the concept of the action and research findings -- with a view to constituting an informed pressure group that gives the action momentum and bite by making imputs and offering support.

Alhaji Nashiru Kadri, National Chairman of APFOG, advocated an improved business environment, through a food policy review that will give enough attention to Cassava through a Research for Development approach to tackle production constraints, such as the ACMD.

“The IITA, to which Ghana's CSIR is affiliated, is dedicated to the development of technologies that reduce Agricultural Producer and Consumer risks and generate wealth; it is against this backdrop that we want MoFA help cassava farmers tap into their pool of technologies,” he stressed.