Cassava World Africa in Lusaka, Zooms in on Commercial Opportunities

Feb. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- His Excellency Honorable Robert K.K. Sichinga, MP & Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Zambia will inaugurate Cassava World Africa conference that will unveil opportunities and challenges in ‘Transforming cassava in Africa into agro-industrial products’ covering – food security, financing projects, breeding processes, use in commercial production of flour, starch, bioenergy and more.

Among key sessions is one by Dennis Beunk, Agricultural Development & Agro-processing Specialist, Brightface Enterprise who provides an overview of ‘Enhancing Food Security, Income Generation, Value Adding and Economic Empowerment through Commercialization of Cassava’. Meanwhile Diogo Machado, Senior Economist, LMC International presents a paper on ‘Global Starch Market Outlook & Feedstock Economics’. A session on ‘Challenges of Operating a Cassava High Quality Flour Plant in Africa’ is presented by Louw Burger, MD/CEO, Thai Farm International and another on ‘Challenges of Implementing Industrial Cassava Projects in Africa’ is delivered by Jens Thomsen, International Starch Institute A/S.

The conference agenda also includes country/ region specific sessions:
·        Investment Update on Cassava Plantation & Value Addition Project in Tanzania – Matthew GW de Klerk, General Manager, Cassava Starch of Tanzania Corporation (CSTC)

·         Commercializing Cassava: New Opportunities For Universal Industries and Malawian Smallholders – V. Navin Kumar, GM, Universal Farming & Milling

·         Status of Bioenergy Industry Development in Zambia – Prof.Thomson Sinkala, Chairman, Biofuels Association of Zambia

·         Project Status and Challenges in Developing a Cassava Biorefinery in Nigeria – Richard Bennett, CEO, Sunbird Bioenergy Africa

Cassava breeding approaches and varieties to meet the emerging market demands will be examined via sessions on ‘Breeding Approaches to Turn Cassava into a Cash Crop for Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development’ by Dr. Hernan Ceballos, Cassava Leader, CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture) and ‘Breeding Opportunities and Challenges for Cassava Commercialization in the Southern Africa Region’ by Dr. Ntawuruhunga Pheneas, SARRNET Coordinator, Breeder, Cassava Program Unit, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

For enquiries, contact Ms. Huiyan at huiyan@cmtsp.com.sg or +65 6346 9113.