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Cover photo: ©CLAYUCA Corporation ii A look at the potential of the crop to promote agricultural development and economic growth Cassava in the Caribbean region Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Clayuca Corporation and Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Bridgetown, 2016 iii Cassava in the Caribbean region: A look at the potential of the crop to promote agricultural development and economic growth Bernardo Ospina, Executive Director of CLAYUCA Corporation Alejandra Jiménez, CLAYUCA Consultant Cali, Colombia Vyjayanthi Lopez, Plant Production and Protection Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean (FAO-SLC) Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados Alberto Pantoja, (Ex) Plant Production and Protection Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Santiago, Chile Adam Prakash Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural Officer Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, Italy Humberto Gómez Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture Trinidad and Tobago Anamaría García, Crop Prodution and Protection Specialist Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Santiago, Chile iv CONTENTS Page FOREWORD x WHY THIS DOCUMENT? xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xii PART 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CASSAVA 1 Introduction 1 World cassava figures 1 Importance of cassava in food security 7 PART 2: CURRENT STATUS OF THE CASSAVA CROP IN SELECTED CARIBBEAN 10 COUNTRIES Introducción 10 Results of the survey 11 Statistical information about cassava and other important crops in selected 43 countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region Barbados 43 Belize 46 Dominica 49 Grenada 51 Guyana 53 Jamaica 55 Montserrat 58 St. Lucia 60 St. Kitts and Nevis 63 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 65 Suriname 67 Trinidad and Tobago 69 Dominican Republic 72 Ecuador 74 Nicaragua 76 Paraguay 78 PART 3: POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 80 Introduction 80 Pillar 1. Increased production and productivity in cassava 80 Pillar 2. Improved processing, value adding technologies 84 Pillar 3. New commercialization/marketing and market systems 92 Pillar 4. Promotion of consumption 92 CONCLUSIONS 94 v Page BIBLIOGRAPHY 96 ANNEXES 97 Annex 1. Contacts in the Caribbean region 98 Annex 2. On-line survey 118 vi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Changes in cassava production in three continents, ten-year average. 2 Table 2. Changes in cassava production in three continents, ten-year average (as a 2 percentage of total production worldwide). Table 3. Changes in cassava areas planted in three continents, ten-year average (in 3 millions of ha). Table 4. Changes in cassava areas planted on three continents, ten-year average (as a 4 percentage of total areas planted with cassava worldwide). Table 5. Changes in cassava yields in three continents, ten-year average (MT per ha). 5 Table 6. Changes in cassava yields, by continent, average of ten-year periods (as a 5 percentage of world cassava average yields). Table 7. Food consumption data in energy equivalents by region, 2007-2009. 7 Table 8. Cassava production data (1961 to 2009). 8 Table 9. List of countries included in the survey on the current status of the cassava 10 value chain. Table 10. Production of cassava in selected LAC countries (average of ten-year periods). 12 Table 11. Production of cassava in selected countries of the LAC region (2006-2010). 13 Table 12. Ranking of the most important crops in selected Latin American and Caribbean 14 countries. Table 13. Ranking of the most important crops in selected Latin American and Caribbean 15 countries, excluding wheat, rice and maize. Table 14. Cassava yields in selected LAC countries (average ten-year periods, 1970- 16 2009). Table 15. Cassava yields in selected LAC countries (period 2006-2010). 18 Table 16. Average yield annual growth rate (%) for cassava in selected LAC countries 19 (1970 – 2009). Table 17. Classification of cassava farmers in countries of Caribbean based on farm size 20 and yields. Table 18. Main cassava varieties grown in selected Caribbean countries and farmers’ 22 reasons for the preference. vii Page Table 19. Principal cassava varieties planted in selected countries of the Caribbean 22 region. Table 20. Cassava varieties introduced in the Latin America and Caribbean region. 25 Table 21. Main Institutions working on cassava in the Caribbean region. 30 Table 22. Prices paid for cassava roots by processing enterprises in selected countries. 36 Table 23. Main cassava varieties used in cassava processing activities in selected 38 countries of the Caribbean region. Table 24. Summary of physical, physico-chemical, and cooking characteristics demanded 40 by cassava processing enterprises in selected Caribbean countries. Table 25. Activities and areas of work for interventions to increase efficiency and 42 competitiveness in cassava processing enterprises in some Caribbean countries. viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Changes in average cassava yields in four regions, 10-year averages expressed 5 as a percentage of world cassava average yields for each decade. Figure 2. Average size of cassava areas in selected countries of the Caribbean region. 21 Figure 3. Experience of cassava farmers included in the survey. 23 Figure 4. Origin of the cassava planting material used by cassava farmers included in the 24 survey. Figure 5. Methods used in the Caribbean region to control cassava diseases. 27 Figure 6. Methods used in the Caribbean region to control cassava pests and insects. 28 Figure 7. Main markets for cassava production in selected Caribbean countries. 29 Figure 8. Participation of women in cassava production and processing activities in 34 selected Caribbean countries. Figure 9. Different types of cassava processing enterprises existing in selected Caribbean 35 countries. Figure 10. Different sources of raw material (cassava roots) for cassava processing 35 enterprises in selected Caribbean countries. Figure 11. Cassava processing activities conducted manually and mechanically in 37 selected Caribbean countries (as a percentage of the total number of processing enterprises interviewed). Figure 12. Cassava processing activities conducted manually and mechanically in 37 selected Caribbean countries (as a percentage of the total number of processing enterprises interviewed). Figure 13. Cassava production in Belize, 2001-2012. 47 Figure 14. Cassava yields in Belize, 2001-2012. 47 Figure 15. Cassava plants obtained from two-node mini-stakes, ready for transplanting. 82 Figure 16. System for rapid multiplication of planting material of imported, improved 83 cassava varieties, included in field evaluation trials. Figure 17. System for rapid multiplication of planting material of improved cassava 84 varieties based on the nursery concept. Farmers receive 2-3 month old plants instead of stakes. ix FOREWORD One of the best strategies for promoting sustainable development of the agricultural sector in a country is to implement approaches that integrate genetic resources, eco-efficient field and crop management, and postharvest value-adding technologies. This integrated systems approach offers many advantages to all the actors of a crop value chain, including policy makers, producers, processors and users. For example, farmers can have facilitated access to improved varieties, with high yielding potential and good adaptation to the specific agro-climatic conditions of the region. Also, using eco-efficient technologies to manage the soil and the crop, farmers can increase their yields using those inputs that are necessary