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An assessment of post harvest losses in the cassava Value chain in Cameroons' South West region: Processing cassava to garri

Author Affiliations

  • 1National Centre for Education, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovations, Cameroon
  • 2Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon
  • 3Department of Agro-business, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Cameroon

Res. J. Agriculture & Forestry Sci., Volume 7, Issue (3), Pages 1-12, July,8 (2019)

Abstract

Cassava is the only staple crop produced in most agroecological regions of Cameroon. However, despite its vulnerability to postharvest losses producers continue to grow the crop because unlike other root and tubers it can be locally processed into a variety of food items that attract consumer demand in the country's markets. However, cassava production and processing is still a dominantly rural occupation mostly done with rudimentary technologies which are grossly inadequate to sustain growing domestic demand. In addition rudimentary technology used in storage, processing and marketing have increased the prevalence of postharvest losses at all stages of cassava production and distribution; thus affecting marketing of locally processed products in modern retail outlets where the products are unavailable despite growing consumer demand and the ability and willingness of producers to supply. The study is an assessment on various losses incurred and acknowledged by actors during production, processing, and marketing of garri one of the processed products highly consumed in Cameroon. Information was obtained by use of questionnaire, observations, and group discussions with the various actors in the cassava value chain. According to the study cassava production could act as veritable instrument for poverty alleviation if government and its agencies could provide an enabling environment supported by adequate infrastructure for processing, storage, and marketing in other to avoid endemic food and income losses which are deterrent to poverty alleviation to most actors in the cassava value chain.

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