Cassava has a top - down health and economic potential

“Consumed by over 500 million Africans every day, cassava is the second most important source of carbohydrate in Sub-Saharan Africa, after maize!”

By Dr. Chitalu Chilufya.

Lusaka, June 7 – “Kalundwe [cassava] ni top – down power!” exclaimed a cassava trader in Mabumba area. This caught my attention and got me to chat with this Ushi fellow.

He continued, “Katapa munani usuma saana [cassava leaves is great relish]; tute ebunga tukolya fwebo [here we use cassava flour for our nshima]. Elyo kabili tulasitisya tute elyo twalipilila abana kuma sukulu [additionally, we sell cassava to raise school fees]. Elyo tatonaula ulupiya pali fetalaiza nakalya [and growing it, does not even require the use of fertiliser]. Kansi kalundwe Kuno kwesu nimbama! [so growing cassava this side, is in superlatives]”

Consumed by over 500 million Africans every day, cassava is the second most important source of carbohydrate in Sub-Saharan Africa, after maize. The leaves [katapa] on top and the tubers below is what my Ushi friend referred to as its top – down benefits.

The top benefit of katapa is that it should not be viewed as food for the poor, it’s a very healthy vegetable that prevents non communicable diseases.

Katapa contains vitamins, proteins, minerals and essential amino acids. The major needs of women during their pregnancy, for instance, are folate and Vitamin C.

Also Read: Kalembula is not food for the poor!

Katapa has plenty of both and therefore expectant mothers will get their required nutrients feeding on katapa. And because Katapa contains huge amounts of Vitamin C and folate, it helps to boost the immune system.

The bottom benefit, the tuber, offers us the cassava meal for household food security, starch for the clothing industry and ethanol production for use as biofuel.

But cassava has boundless potential for job and wealth creation. In June, I was at the Zambian Breweries cassava value addition project launch in Fimpulu area of Mansa. By the end of last year, over 4,000 cassava farmers in 4 districts namely Mansa, Chembe, Nchelenge and Kawambwa were put on this programme to produce the feedstock required for the US $30 million new eagle beer plant in Ndola.

Cassava can help us manage non communicable diseases while ensuring household food security and economic empowerment. With the threat of climate change, our farmers can count on cassava because it is even more productive in hotter temperatures and can be grown on marginal land where other cereals do not do well, and as my Ushi friend said, it requires little inputs.

Also Read: Zambia can only be developed by Zambians!

About The Author: Dr. Chilufya, a PF presidential candidate, is a public health physician, Mansa Central Member of Parliament and former Minister of Health who led a transformational agenda of the national health system, focused on creating a resilient health approach to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

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