Two cassava production and transformation facilities will be developed in the villages of Tokpo and Atigbe in Togo. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) revealed the plans and said they will spend CFA50 million for the projects.
Aliou Dia, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Togo said the projects aim to will empower the women of these communities and foster local development. Cassava is one of the most grown agricultural product in Togo; the country produced 1,140,200 t in 2020 (BCEAO), which is 20,000 t more than in 2019. Every year, a surplus of about 400,000 t is recorded and the area of production is more than 60,000 hectares.
Increase cassava production
Paradoxical with this excessive supply of the tuber, prices of its derived products, gari and tapioca being the main ones, keep rising. For example, in local markets, a bowl of gari currently sells for CFA1,200, up from CFA1,000 recently and CFA600 before that. However, the ministry of agriculture is mustering efforts to further increase cassava production.
“Let it be recalled that some months ago, a starch factory was commissioned in the Plateaux region, and five cassava processing units were also installed in Vo. The more the better,” said Dia.
