Fabco works to commercialise cassava as root veggie
Farmers Business Cooperative (FABCO) hopes to end hunger and poverty with cassava and to reclaim its rightful position as the most preferred and eaten starch in southern Africa.
FABCO is a farming cooperative in the Mopani district and is working tirelessly to commercialise the root vegetable.
The cooperative’s interest was sparked when they participated in a two-year research programme and trial conducted by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to see if trading of the vegetable will be feasible in the country.
“The results were really positive and as FABCO we decided to go straight into commercialising,” explained Oupa Mathebula, FABCO ExecutIve Chairperson.
“We decided to terminate the research contract as we were convinced it would work and there was no need to continue.
Mathebula told the Herald that the cassava is more than just another starch as it has more health benefits when compared to other starches. He said it requires less water, agro-chemicals, labour, mechanisation and it offers better yields. Besides being utilised as food, it can also be prepared as a snack. Its other uses include production of feeds, drink, alcohol and bio-gas.
They are currently promoting the vegetable as an affordable alternative source of food and feeds, this include registering farmers who want to produce cassava.
Also read: FABCO establishes wholesale markets in Mopani district
They also have nurseries which grows the vegetable and are hoping to sell more plants to farmers and individual households. Mathebula told the Herald that cassava offers farmers a guaranteed harvest and good yields. According to him a hectare of maize offers farmers less than R30 000 profit in a dry land, while cassava offers more than R100 000 in the same conditions.
In March FABCO’s headquarters in the Nkowankowa Industrial Area was one of the venues which hosted the General Assembly and Agricultural Conference.
The event was attended by the MEC for Agriculture, Nandi Ndalane and the governor of the Gaza province in Mozambique, Margarida Mapandzene Chongo. Cassava is the primary starch in Mozambique they are able to prepare it in different ways such as chips and salads.
FABCO is already established with dealership rights of tractors such as VSP Power Tractors, Belarus, TGB quad bikes, VST Power Tillers, bikes to assist potential farmers. Farmers who wish to join Fabco can can contact Peter Maluleke on
072 449 9581 for more information. The joining fee is R250.
