Roots Very High In Starch
The cassava plant (“Cassava”) also known as yuca or manioc, is a perennial woody shrub with edible roots with very high levels of Starch, leading to numerous food and non-food applications.
Most Resilient Crop
Grows best in tropical and sub-tropical regions, however, it can survive in a wide range of soil types with minimal management and under the harshest conditions- in fact, its considered one of the most drought tolerant staple crops available. Ideal for India and the subcontinent’s climates that can suffer extreme dry conditions and adverse conditions.
+21 Different High Yield Varieties
Indian farmers have a wide choice of High Yielding Cassava varieties to select from. They vary in crop duration (6 to 11 months) and yield (25 to 40 t/ha) depending soil, location and its final use. Such varieties include H-165, H-226, Sree Harsha, CO-1, CO-2, CO-3, Nidhi and many others.
Harvest Every 6 to 9 Months
Cassava requires from 6 to 9 months to mature, depending on the variety, but can remain in the ground for up to 24 months allowing farmers the flexibility to harvest when markets, processing or other conditions are more favorable. According to FAO, the world average yield is 10.2 tonnes per hectare, but in India its average is 30 t/ha and can be as high as 40 t/ha with quality farming and advanced processing.
Alternative Sweetener to Sugar
A Cassava Sweetener can be made from the Cassava Starch mixed with water (or Cassava Starch Milk) then heated with enzymes to hydrolyze the starch into sugars – Cassava Glucose Syrup. It has low viscosity, high resistance to crystallization, low sweetness, reduced browning capacity, good heat stability and absorbs low levels of air moisture. These properties make it very useful in many applications in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries making it a commercially viable alternative to sugar and corn syrups.
Used in 100s of Everyday Products
The roots can be processed into a number of traditional products including granules, pastes and flours for human consumption. Its also the key ingredient for a diverse range of other products including sweeteners, alcohol, confectionery, paper, adhesives/binder, textiles, animal feeds, chemicals, industrial, pharmaceutical. This providers farmers and plant owners with diversified sources of income.
Outperforms Sugar Cane
World's 4th Most Produced Crop
Global production was more than 283 million tonnes in 2018, of which Africa accounted for over 61% and Asia 29%. Nigeria produced 59 million tonnes making it the world’s largest producer with Thailand 2nd at 31.5 million tonnes. Both these countries also produce significant amounts of sugar highlighting that India can also achieve this in both industries.
In India, Cassava is cultivated in an area of 2.28 lakhs hectares with a total production of 4.6 million tonnes and little has changed over the past 25 years compared to global production that has almost doubled during the same period. Further highlighting India’s capacity to increase production. Currently it is largely cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Nagaland, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
