Production of HQCP has the
potential to become a USD2 billion a year industry on the continent. In Africa,
normal cassava production and processing produces wastes
50 MMT per year of
peels, stumps, undersized, or damaged cassava are either burned or left to rot
in piles, both of which pollute the air, soil, and groundwater. Scaling the
transformation and use of cassava peel into animal feed ingredients instead of
letting them rot in heaps will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As part of
scaling efforts, 3 App solutions have been developed and deployed by the ILRI
experts (Nigeria) to help overcome these challenges and grow the industry. The lead
collaborator in the project developed the Cassava Seed Tracker® an app that facilitates
the identification and tracking of cassava planting materials by varieties. The
second solution is an app called Feed Calculator®
designed to help feed
millers and farmers formulate least cost, nutritionally-balanced rations for
animal feed that incorporate the HQCP which is relieving the stranglehold of
maize on the feed industry by producing a cheaper source of excellent quality
energy. The third one is IITA Herbicide Calculator to control weeds.
Ample evidences now abound through collaborative work and cooperation with poultry feed millers and livestock producers, of willingness to purchase large quantities of manufactured HQCP which have about 2/3 of the energy profile of maize. The scientific trials have progressed from 20% up to 54% substitution in place of maize thereby lowering cost of producing poultry feed considerably. Poultry industry consumes 2MMT of maize without substitution. With 54% substitution; almost 1MMT valued at $250 million or N90 billion are left for direct human consumption. Processing of Nigeria’s 14 MMT of cassava peels waste annually into about 4 MMT of HQCP and at potential market value of $150 per MT, could generate around $600 million (N22 billion) per annum. This could also offer significant new income and employment to actors in cassava value chain of whom 80% are women. We want to ambitiously expand the market for value-added HQCP in poultry industry (and other livestock), where more people can access protein products from poultry. Higher farmer incomes will also improve household nutrition, as farmers buy more nutritious poultry food products for their families. By expanding market solutions to development challenges, we are addressing both a market gap and a development gap while growing a sustainable business.
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