PROJECT TITLE: CASSAVA

PROCESSING

COURSE CODE: AXR 404

COURSE TITLE: AUDIO VISUAL

MATERIALS IN RURAL INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION

FACULTY: AGRICULTURE

LECTURER’S NAME: MRS AWOYEMI

GROUP: 5
SUB-GROUP: 2
NAMES OF STUDENTS
 Olutayo Joy Olawunmi 17/10AC631
 Ojo Mushin Opeyemi 17/10AC554
 Olaiwon Rukayat Ajini 17/10AC578
 Ojo Tomilola Olamide 17/10AC555
 Olumo Zainab Oyindamola 17/10AC626
 Olorunfunmi Halimat Abimbola 17/10AC617
 Omotokese Zainab Ololade 17/10AC642
 Okonkwor Ngozi Opeyemi 17/10AC562
 Oladimeji Abdulhakeem 17/10AC570
 Omoshola Precious Deborah 17/10AC640
 Okoli Maureen 17/10AC561
 Olatunbo Clinton Bunyameen 17/10AC599
CASSAVA
The botanical name of cassava is Manihot esculenta. It is a member of Kingdom
Plantae. It is an Angiosperms of the Tracheophyta. It is a Eudicot. It is a Rosid of
the Order Malpighiales. Cassava is a member of Family Euphorbiaceae. It belongs
to Genus Manihot. All forms belong to the two species “Manihot esculenta
Crantz” and “Manihot utilissima Pohl”. Cassava is also called manioc, yuca,
macaxeira, mandioca , aipim , and agbeli. It is a dicotedonous perennial shrub
grown primarily for its storage roots which are eaten as a vegetable.
The cassava plant is a woody plant with erect stems and spirally arranged simple
lobed leaves with petioles up to 30 cm in length. The edible roots of the plant are
usually cylindrical and tapered and are white, brown or reddish in colour. Cassava
plants can reach 4 m in height and is usually harvested 9-12 months after
planting.
Cassava is classified as either sweet or bitter. Like other roots and tubers, both
bitter and sweet varieties of cassava contain antinutritional factors and toxins,
with the bitter varieties containing much larger amounts. It must be properly
prepared before consumption, as improper preparation of cassava can leave
enough residual cyanide to cause acute cyanide intoxication, goitres, and even
ataxia, partial paralysis, or death.

Sweet Cassava (Manihot aipi)

One of the two major varieties of cassava is referred to as "sweet" cassava, not
because it is higher in sugars than other varieties, but because it is less poisonous.
Cassava contains large quantities of cyanide compounds, which must be
processed out of the tubers before they can be safely eaten. The sweet variety of
cassava has fewer of these compounds, and does not require as much processing.
Sweet varieties also produce higher yields.
Bitter Cassava (Manihot utilissima)
Bitter cassava is very similar in cultivation and general appearance to sweet
cassava, but produces much higher quantities of cyanide compounds. Sweet
cassava may contain as few as 40 parts per million, while bitter cassava varieties
can range as high as 490 parts per million. Any quantity of cyanogens over 50
parts per million is considered to be hazardous. In unsettled regions, some
farmers deliberately switch to bitter cassava as a deterrent to crop theft.

Botanical description of cassava

Cassava is a woody perennial that can grow up to 5 m in height. The leaves are
large, spiral and lobed. Several tubers are produced at growth stage which
contains 35% starch and weighs up to 40 kg. The male and female flowers are in
clusters, and the plant also produces a non-fleshy fruit capsule.
Cassava can be propagated by stem cutting or by seed. Propagation by seed is
often slow, and some of the seeds may require to be scarified before germination
can take place. However, stem cuttings germinate readily, and this is the usual
method of multiplication or establishment.
Germination, shoot expansion, and root spread occurs within the first few weeks
after emergence or sprouting. At the early growth stage, the adventitious roots
are formed first from the nodes at the base of more than one axillary bud (nodal
roots) 5–7 days after planting, which is then followed by the formation of rootlets
from a recently formed callus at the base of the cutting (basal roots).
The buds also begin to sprout and enlarge 5–8 days after planting, with the first
leaves appearing by 10–13 days. Sprouting is faster at a soil temperature around
28–30°C but ceases at temperatures higher than 37°C and lower than 17°C.
The maximum leaf area is reached in 4–5 months after planting. Flowering starts
from the first 6 weeks and continues throughout the growth period of the crop.
Tuber initiation starts from the 8th week after planting but depends on the
variety and environmental conditions. Most of the fibrous roots will develop into
tubers but after 6–9 months no fibrous roots will grow into tubers.
The fibrous roots (ranging from about 3 to 20 roots, depending on cultivars and
growing conditions) initially penetrate the soil as thin fibrous roots, after that,
they undergo secondary thickening and starts swelling from the proximal end
where the fibrous root is attached to the stem. The feeder roots grow vertically
into the soil to a depth of 1 m, thus the reason for its ability to tolerate drought
and low soil fertility.
Mature roots which contain 20–30% starch extend 60 cm down into the soil and
are around the base of the plant. Fresh root yield at harvest under the most
favorable conditions is about 90 t/ha while average world yields from mostly
subsistence agricultural systems are 10 t ha−1.
The cassava tuber is physiologically inactive and thus cannot be used to propagate
the crop. Studies have shown that shoot development takes pre-eminence during
the first 3–5 months of the development of the plant whereas root bulking occurs
during the subsequent period of the growing season. This may be because the
plants mobilize photosynthates to the shoots early in the growing cycle and
supply the roots more photosynthates during the later part of the growing cycle.
This may, however, depend on critical eco-physiological conditions such as soil
and water conditions, temperature regimes and photoperiodism. In general,
cassava does not have specific water stress sensitive growth stage beyond crop
establishment, and the crop tolerates prolonged drought and erratic
precipitation.
The ability of cassava to tolerate elevated temperature, drought and increased
concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, places it as a crop that can adapt to
climate change impacts.

Medicinal Uses of cassava

It serves an important medical or herbal function in villages. Thus, giving it a say in
the category of alternative medical plants. Some of the medical values are
outlined below.
1. Leaves are important assets in territories suffering from poverty and
malnutrition.
2. Reduces the constant underlying risk of associated diseases such as goitre,
cretinism and diabetes.
3. They are applied as a compress to the head for headache and in fever.
4. Cooked and pulped leaves applied to tumours.
5. Leaf sap squeeze into wounds as a haemostatic.

CASSAVA PROCESSING
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is an important food crop in Nigeria. Traditionally,
cassava is processed before consumption. Processing is necessary for several
reasons. First, it serves as a means of removing or reducing the potentially toxic
cyanogenic glucosides present in fresh cassava. Second, it serves as a means of
preservation. Third, processing yields products that have different characteristics,
which creates variety in cassava diets.
The objective of this research is to detail the strategy and process being followed
by local farmers to process the cassava from raw product to final product in Ilorin,
Kwara State.
The cassava processing industry for the research is a joint enterprise located at
No. 16, Adifa street, beside NNPC Junction, Tanke, Ilorin. Mrs Comfort, Mrs
Bukola and Mummy Michael were in charge. They have been in the business for
about ten years.
The taxi full of cassava arrived in the morning. Cassava that is not processed that
day is stored in a cool dry place and covered with a rug.
The variety of cassava used is call Ege Oko Iyawo (Bridegroom Cassava). It is an
annual crop. Although there are other edible cassavas that can be used e.g Ege
Atun. There are also biennial cassavas.
They bought the taxi full of cassava at the rate of twenty-two thousand naira.
Sometime ago, the price was five thousand naira but due to inflation, the price
drastically increased from to thirty thousand naira. They are hoping it will reduce.
Processing of cassava to food involves combinations of fermentation, drying, and
cooking. Fermentation is an important method common in most processing.
While there are many fermentation techniques for cassava, they can be broadly
categorized into solid-state fermentation and submerged fermentation. Solid-
state fermentation, typified by gari production, uses grated or sliced cassava
pieces that are allowed to ferment while exposed to the natural atmosphere or
pressed in a bag. Submerged fermentation involves the soaking of whole peeled,
cut and peeled, or unpeeled cassava roots in water for various periods, as typified
by the production of fufu in Nigeria. Traditionally, cassava is fermented for 4 to 6
days in order to effect sufficient detoxification of the roots. Some processors, out
of economic pressure, ferment cassava for less than 2 days. Some cases of food
poisoning have been attributed to this practice.
Our approach on cassava processing research is divided into two areas:
1) Garri Production
2) Fufu Production

Garri Production
The process involved in Garri production include: Peeling, washing, Grinding,
Bagging, Jacking, Frying, Sieving and finally, Packaging.
Peeling: This is the process of removing the outer skin of the Cassava. It must be
peeled properly to avoid dirt in the final product. The peeled part is also useful as
they were used as goat food.
Washing: This is the process of rinsing the peeled cassava in water to remove dirt.
The cassava must be washed properly in clean water.
Grinding: This is the process of crushing the rinsed cassava with the use of the
grinding machine.
Bagging: Then after grinding, the next thing is to bag the grinded cassava in a bag.
Jacking: This is done to extract water or moisture or any other unwanted material
from the cassava. It is also called the fermentation process. Depending on the
quality of the Garri, you can ferment for more than 3 days. For sour Garri, it is left
for 5 days before frying.
Frying: This is done after the Jacking/fermentation period. It involves putting the
fermented cassava on the fire and start frying.
Sieving: This is done after frying. Depending on the texture of Garri wanted, you
can decide to either sieve the Garri or not. The sieved part is useful in making
lafun.
Packaging: This involves Packing the Garri in bags for sale.
The profit of the Garri producers depends on the swelling of the Garri. It is sold at
the rate of five thousand naira per seven paint buckets for retailers and
wholesalers and at the rate of one thousand naira per paint bucket for final
consumers.

FUFU PRODUCTION
The process involved in Garri production include: Peeling, Washing, Cutting,
Soaking, Sieving, Cooking and then, Wrapping. Fufu production is different from
Garri production.
In Fufu production, we don’t grind the cassava, neither do we bag or jack the
cassava.
Peeling: This is the process of removing the outer skin of the Cassava. It must be
peeled properly to avoid dirt in the final product.
Washing: This is the process of rinsing the peeled cassava in water to remove dirt.
The cassava must be washed properly in clean water.
Cutting: This is done to increase the surface area and to fasten the soaking period.
Soaking ; This is done by putting the cassava in a big container till it is soft and
breaking apart. It usually takes three to four days for the cassava soaked to be
ready for sieving.
Sieving: This is done by sieving out soaked cassava into a container. The smaller
particles are sieved and the other part are not useful for the process. They are fed
to goats.
Cooking: This is done by extracting the settled particles of the sieved products and
cooked for about thirty minutes to one hour. Then fufu is ready.
Wrapping: This is done by packaging the cooked fufu in nylon to avoid cooling of
the fufu.
The Fufu is sold at the rate of fifty naira per wrap.

Challenges faced by the Cassava Processing Industry

One of the major challenges faced by the Cassava Processing Industry is the sharp
increase in the price of cassava. This has caused a lot of breakdown in the
industry. Others include: Lack of Machinery, Lack of manpower/labour, damaged
caused to the sight due to the excessive smoke by the fire during frying and
others.