Once overlooked, cassava is now gaining ground as a reliable source of food and income for farmer groups in the Samie community in the Bo district of Sierra Leone.
The Gbomuma Group, comprising over 30 local farmers, has adopted cassava farming for household consumption and as a viable business venture. After receiving technical and input support, the group now produces, processes, and sells cassava-based products, such as cassava grits, locally known as “gari,” in community markets.
“Cassava has become our second staple food after rice. Most of the rice we consume is imported, and local production can’t meet the demand. Cassava is helping in filling the gap and making sure we have food on our tables,” says Mammy Mbawah, leader of the Gbomuma group.
“Cassava has become our second staple food after rice. Most of the rice we consume is imported, and local production can’t meet the demand. Cassava is helping in filling the gap and making sure we have food on our tables,” says Mammy Mbawah, leader of the Gbomuma Group.
THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF CASSAVA
Cassava is increasingly being recognised not just as a food crop, but also as a cash crop with industrial potential. According to the West Africa Competitiveness Programme, cassava offers opportunities for income generation and foreign exchange earnings.
However, productivity remains below its potential due to poor coordination along the value chain and low production yields. Nationally, average yields stand at 14.5 metric tonnes per hectare, far below the 25 metric tonnes achievable with improved varieties and better farm practices.
EMPOWERING FARMERS THROUGH TOOLS AND TRAINING
Solidaridad, through the Acting Now programme, aims to help bridge this gap by supporting smallholder farmers in an effort to increase productivity and build sustainable livelihoods.
In 2023, Solidaridad provided the Gbomuma Group and others across the Bo, Kenema, and Port Loko districts with critical farming inputs, including high-yielding cassava cuttings for production. These resources were complemented by hands-on training in good agricultural practices (GAP), which was delivered through farmer field schools established under the project.
“Due to the different GAP training conducted by Solidaridad over the years, we have acquired technical knowledge and skills to handle the crop and manage our farms,” says Mammy Mbawah.
The Gbomuma Group received over 50 bundles of cassava cuttings for planting. Then, after their initial harvest in 2023, the group chose to reserve cassava cuttings for replanting and expand their cassava cultivation from 2 to 6 hectares.
“We decided to invest in cassava because we saw the potential of the crop in providing us with a stable income. Currently, a bag of processed cassava is more expensive than a bag of rice. A bag of rice sells for about 1,000 leones (38 euros), while a bag of processed gari, made from cassava, can sell for over 1,000 Sierra Leonean leones, depending on the season,” says Mammy Mbawah.
Prior to their involvement in the Acting Now programme, many smallholder farmers across 85 communities in the three districts had little interest in cassava farming.
Mammy’s group, for instance, was cultivating less than 2 hectares of cassava, primarily for household consumption due to a lack of knowledge about its commercial value and limited access to quality planting materials.
“It is exciting to see that the farmers have made good use of the inputs provided for them. Their progress shows that, with the right support, smallholder farmers can thrive,” says Ansumana Joseph Musa, Solidaridad Programme Officer for Acting Now in Sierra Leone.
ADVANCING FOOD SECURITY
The support provided by Solidaridad is part of a broader effort to improve food security in Sierra Leone. Through the Acting Now programme, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Solidaridad is working across 75 rural communities to scale up the production of staple crops such as rice, cassava, and groundnuts.
Over the years, the programme has reached over 3,000 farmers, both men and women, with the tools and training they need to increase their incomes and build food-resilient communities.
The Acting Now programme is implemented by Solidaridad across six African countries: Sierra Leone, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana and Mozambique.